ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Combined Heat and Power

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action she proposes to take to encourage (a) operation and (b) development of combined heat and power plants.

Michael Meacher: A number of new support measures for CHP were announced in the Energy White Paper, recognising the important role that CHP has to play in helping the UK tackle climate change and the difficult market conditions the industry faces. Together with the measures set out in the draft "Government's Strategy for CHP to 2010", I believe that these will set the sector on course to achieve our target of 10GWe in 2010.

Inland Flood Defence

Edward Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on recent progress made by (a) her Department and (b) the Environment Agency in implementing the recommendations made by the Committee of Public Accounts in its report on inland flood defence.

Elliot Morley: In their report, the Committee recognised that improvements had been made but rightly focused on areas where, in their opinion, we could do more. Many of their recommendations fall directly to the Environment Agency as the country's main provider of flood defences and because of its supervisory and flood warning responsibilities. We continue to work with them to address the Committee's recommendations.

Animal Disease

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on her Department's policy on claiming money from the European Commission to tackle animal disease.

Elliot Morley: The Department's policy is to make an application on a UK basis in support of selected programmes for each year. The Commission Deadline for the submission of claims is 1 June, both for the submission of programmes for the following calendar year and for detailed claims for the past calendar year.

Beaches (Disabled Access)

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with the Environment Agency about improving disabled access to beaches where flood defence work has taken place.

Elliot Morley: I have had no such discussions. However, I can say that the Environment Agency's Southern Region has commissioned safety consultants to undertake an R&D pilot study for the provision of disability access to EA coastal and fluvial defences.
	The report, only recently completed, proposes a common methodology for surveys on future provision of disability access. This work will contribute to a better understanding and awareness of the needs of disabled people and will further work required for developing policy.
	The Agency has also appointed recreation officers in all its regions and one of their roles is to champion access in the consideration of flood defence schemes.

Horse Passports

David Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects to publish legislation on compulsory horse passports; and if she will make a statement.

Alun Michael: In the next few weeks I expect to issue for comment a draft of the legislation implementing the Government's decision that all equids must have passports, as required by EU legislation.

Horse Passports

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether every country in the EU is implementing the Directive regarding horse passports; what recent discussions she has had with the European Commission on further derogation to exempt the UK from compulsory horse passports; what further consultation there will be with the UK horse industry on the implementation of the horse passport scheme; and if she will make a statement.

Alun Michael: Commission Decision 2000/68/EC, must be implemented by all member states and there have been no discussions with the European Commission about exempting the UK from its requirements.
	A draft of the legislation for England implementing the requirements that all horses must have passports will be issued in the next few weeks for consultation. The draft will take account of the views expressed during the discussions with the horse industry that have already taken place.

Fishing Fleet

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effect of the forthcoming expansion of the European Union on the economic viability of the United Kingdom's fishing fleet.

Elliot Morley: We do not expect the forthcoming accession of new member states to affect the economic viability of the UK fishing fleet.

Flood Protection (Rural Areas)

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the money made available to fund flood protection in rural areas in 2002–03.

Elliot Morley: Defra provides grant aid on capital flood and coastal defence projects that meet specified criteria and an appropriate priority score. Decisions regarding which projects to promote and their timing rests with operating authorities. It is therefore not possible to say how much of the funding has been directed to rural areas until after the financial year has ended. The figures will depend on the definition of "rural areas", as many schemes classified as "urban" are to protect communities within what would normally be considered as rural areas. ODPM allocate funding to support local authorities' expenditure on flood defence on the basis of their past expenditure.

Flooding

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she last met the Environment Agency to discuss flooding.

Elliot Morley: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, meets with the Environment Agency regularly to discuss a range of issues. The last time she met Sir John Harman and Baroness Young to discuss flooding was on 15 January 2003. I also hold meetings with the Environment Agency and flooding is discussed regularly. Our last meeting was held on 9 December 2002 and I am due to meet with them again later today.

Broiler Chickens

Nick Palmer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will commission further research on the impact of intensive rearing of broiler chickens on (a) human and (b) animal health.

Elliot Morley: The Government are committed to funding research to both protect the public and welfare of farmed animals. Defra currently spends £3.5 million per annum on research into food-borne zoonoses and £1.2 million per annum on poultry welfare and disease research. The Government are committed to the continuing development of a comprehensive Animal Health and Welfare Strategy which will help to inform future research priorities.

Forestry (Africa)

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if her Department will raise the management of (a) forest products and (b) bushmeat at the forthcoming Africa Forest Law Enforcement and Governance Ministerial Conference in April.

Clare Short: I have been asked to reply.
	My Department will raise the subjects of the international trade in forest products and bushmeat at the Africa Forest Law Enforcement and Governance Ministerial Conference in April.

Forestry (Africa)

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which ministers and civil servants will attend the Africa Forest Law Enforcement and Governance Ministerial Conference in April.

Clare Short: I have been asked to reply.
	The UK will be represented by the Under-Secretary of State, Department for International Development, her Private Secretary, DFID's Senior Forestry Adviser and a representative of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Environmental Security Team.

Overfishing (North Sea)

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what changes she is proposing to the Common Fisheries Policy to tackle overfishing of white fish in the North Sea.

Elliot Morley: The Government stands ready to consider any proposals, beyond those already agreed, which will help to bring stocks back within safe biological limits.

Rural White Paper

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the progress her Department has made in implementing the Rural White Paper.

Alun Michael: Defra is responsible for monitoring the implementation of the Rural White Paper. Government continues to make good progress in delivering the commitments set out in the Rural White Paper. As of 31 December 2002, over 150 of these have been completed, or are in progress. Around 90 have targets for completion in the future.

Meat Imports (Foot and Mouth)

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the risk of meat imports that carry foot and mouth virus.

Elliot Morley: Over the last year, the Veterinary Laboratories Agency has been undertaking a risk assessment to help us get a better understanding of the risk of meat imports being contaminated with foot and mouth, and infecting susceptible livestock in Great Britain. The final report is currently subject to quality assurance and peer review, prior to publication in the next few weeks.

CABINET OFFICE

Looked-after Children

Paul Burstow: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when the Social Exclusion Unit will publish its report on the education of looked-after children; and what the reasons are for the delay in publication.

Barbara Roche: I have been asked to reply.
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 24 February 2003, Official Report, column 261W. The report will reflect the proposals in the forthcoming Green Paper on "Children at Risk", announced by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 30 October 2002, also due for publication in the spring.

Accountancy Services

John Bercow: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the total cost to his Department was for accountancy services in 2002.

Douglas Alexander: My Department does not keep central records of this information, therefore the answer can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

HAZMOD Project

Paul Burstow: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office which company is running the HAZMOD Intranet (HI) project; how much has been spent on the project; when the project will go live; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: The HAZMOD Extranet (previously referred to as HAZMOD intranet) was a small pilot project, managed by a research group within the Home Office and subsequently the Cabinet Office, which investigated the access to maps by emergency planners and others using internet technology. The project lasted two and a half years and cost £175,000.
	Recent analysis undertaken by the Cabinet Office showed that better and faster approaches to securing the same information are now available elsewhere and are already in use by a range of organisations. The Government therefore consider that it can best support local authority emergency planners through the provision of advice on the development of geographical information systems. Emergency planners at the local level will also continue to draw data from Police Commanders, who have direct access to information from central Government.
	A letter explaining the position was sent on 24 February 2003 by the Cabinet Office to all the emergency planners involved in the project. The letter was also published on the UK Resilience website www.ukresilience.info.

Overseas Trips

John Bercow: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will list the overseas trips made by himself and other members of his ministerial team in 2002; and what the (a) purpose and (b) cost was in each case.

Douglas Alexander: I refer the hon. Member to the answer which I gave to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 22 January 2003, Official Report, column 334W.

Senior Civil Service

Mr. Gareth Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what level of appraisal is required at each grade within the senior civil service; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: Each member of the Senior Civil Service is subject to an annual assessment by their manager based on the achievement of objectives, development of competences and use of professional skills. Their annual performance related pay award is based on this assessment.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Accountancy Firms (Competition)

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proposals she has for investigating the extent of competition among the big-four accountancy firms.

Melanie Johnson: As a result of a recommendation in the Interim Report of the Coordinating Group on Audit and Accounting Issues (CGAA), the Office of Fair Trading has looked at the competition implications of the high concentration in the market for audit and accountancy services following the demise of Andersens. They concluded that there was no case for an immediate Competition Commission referral or market referral, but that the market should be kept under review.

Agricultural Produce

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent assessment she has made of the existence of market dominance on the part of purchasers of perishable raw agricultural produce in the (a) dairy, (b) livestock meat, (c) arable, (d) poultry meat, (e) horticultural and (f) other sectors.

Melanie Johnson: Issues of market dominance are for the competition authorities to analyse in the first instance. Dominance, and more particularly abuse of dominance by single firms is for the Office of Fair Trading to consider under the Competition Act 1998. Problems arising from collective dominance are more likely to be dealt with by reference to the Competition Commission (CC). Over the past four years, the CC has reported on three such references. On 10 October 2000, it reported on the supply of groceries from multiple stores. On its recommendation, the Government published a Code of Practice governing relations between the large supermarkets and their suppliers.
	On 22 December 2000, the CC published a report on the supply of fresh processed milk to middle ground retailers in Scotland and on 6 July 1999, the CC published a report on the supply of raw cow's milk in Great Britain.

Auditing

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proposals she has for raising the audit threshold for small and medium-sized companies.

Melanie Johnson: The Department is carrying out a programme of research to assess the impact of the previous increased to £1 million turnover in the audit exemption threshold. The information provided will be used to inform a further consultation proposed on whether the audit threshold should be increased or maintained at its current level.

Auditors

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the consultancy services that auditors are not permitted to sell to their audit clients.

Melanie Johnson: The UK system of auditor regulation is based on principles rather than rules. The key principles are that auditors should not perform management functions or make management decisions; that auditors should not audit their own work; and that auditors should not act as advocates for their clients. There is no list of banned services in the UK.
	The recently published Final Report of the Coordinating Group on Audit and Accounting Issues deals with the issue of the provision of non-audit services by auditors to their clients, in particular in Chapter 1 (auditor independence) and Chapter 2 (corporate governance and the role of audit committee).

Consumer Contracts Regulations

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many (a) local authority and (b) housing association tenancy agreements have been received by the Office of Fair Trading for investigation under the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999.

Melanie Johnson: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Lewisham, East (Ms Prentice), 11 February 2003, Official Report, column 650W.

Defective Accounts

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many companies have been forced to revise defective accounts by the Financial Reporting Review Panel; and how many auditors have been disciplined as a result.

Melanie Johnson: Since 1991, 14 companies have been required to revise their financial statements by issuing corrected accounts after investigation by the Panel. Over 50 other companies have been required to take alternative corrective action in respect of defective accounts.
	The Panel always alerts the relevant professional bodies whose members have been involved in either the preparation or audit of accounts requiring correction. It is for these bodies to decide what action is appropriate. The Panel is informed of their decisions and is aware that disciplinary action is taken in appropriate cases.

DTI Inspectors' Reports

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the DTI inspectors' reports that have not yet been presented to Parliament but have been released to third parties.

Melanie Johnson: Inspectors' reports are made to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, not to Parliament.

Financial Reporting Council

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what financial contribution the Government will be making to the operations of the Financial Reporting Council and its associated bodies.

Melanie Johnson: The Report of the Review of the Regulatory Regime of the Accountancy Profession (published on 29 January) recommended that
	"the annual running costs of the independent regulator should be broadly shared by Government, business and the professional bodies". Chapter 8 of the report, copies of which have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses, looks at funding issues in detail. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State made it clear in her Statement on 29 January, when accepting this recommendation, that while the Government will pay its share of core running costs, she also expects companies and the profession to contribute.

J.S. Bass Group

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the hon. Member for Great Grimsby's correspondence with her, if she will commission an independent inquiry into the liquidation of J S Bass Group of companies.

Melanie Johnson: I am not persuaded that there are any grounds to justify the commission of an independent inquiry into the liquidation of John S Bass & Co. Ltd., or other companies in the same group.

Money Laundering

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many accountants have been prosecuted by her Department for failure to report suspicions of money laundering to the National Criminal Intelligence Service.

Bob Ainsworth: I have been asked to reply.
	The table gives the number of defendants proceeded against in England and Wales for the offence of failing to disclose knowledge or suspicion of money laundering under section 52 of the Drug Trafficking Act 1994 during the period 1994 to 2001.
	It is not possible separately to identify which of these defendants are accountants in the statistics collected centrally.
	The Drug Trafficking Act offence has been replaced by section 330 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 which came into force on 24 February 2003. This new offence only applies to persons who suspect money laundering in the course of a business in the regulated sector. Accountants will be brought within the regulated sector by means of new Money Laundering Regulations to be made later this year.
	
		Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates' courts and found guilty at all courts for 'failure to disclose knowledge or suspicion of money laundering'(1), England and Wales 1994 to 2001(2)
		
			  Defendants proceeded against Defendantsfound guilty 
		
		
			 1994 — — 
			 1995 1 — 
			 1996 — — 
			 1997 — — 
			 1998 — — 
			 1999 1 — 
			 2000(3) 1 — 
			 2001 — — 
		
	
	(1) Offence is under Drug Trafficking Act 1994, Sec 52.
	(2) These data are on the principal offence basis.
	(3) Staffordshire Police were only able to submit sample data for persons dealt with at magistrates' courts in 2000. Although sufficient to estimate higher orders of data, these data are not robust at a detailed level and have been excluded from this table.

Receiverships (Completion)

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many receiverships, administrations and liquidations that commenced (a) more than 20 years ago and (b) more than 10 years ago have not been finalised; for what reasons they have not been finalised; and what steps her Department takes to ensure timely completion.

Melanie Johnson: As of 31 January 2003 there were 18,585 liquidation cases open, of these 440 cases (2.4 per cent.) were over 36 months old. There is no information available for previous years.
	There is no information available for the length of time taken to finalise receiverships or administrations.

Regulatory Bodies

Archie Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many staff were employed by the Insolvency Service in each year since 1997, and how many were inspection staff.

Melanie Johnson: The numbers of staff employed in the Insolvency Service are published in the agency's Annual Report and Accounts.

Rugby Football Union

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions she has had with the Office of Fair Trading on its investigation into restrictive and anticompetitive practices with respect to the Rugby Football Union.

Melanie Johnson: None.

TRANSPORT

Pollution

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the cost per kilogram saved of (a) carbon dioxide emissions and (b) other harmful gases arising from (i) the lower duty on LPG, (ii) the lower duty on biodiesel and (iii) the proposed 20p reduction for bioethanol

David Jamieson: holding answer 5 March 2003
	There is a large number of factors influencing the cost of abatement of carbon dioxide and local air quality emissions. For example, the CO2 life-cycle benefits of biofuels can be heavily influenced by the feedstocks, farming practices and processing methods used to manufacture the fuel. In addition, it should be noted that LPG is promoted primarily as a means of improving air quality rather than as a carbon-saving measure.
	However, illustrative figures have been set out for carbon and the main air quality pollutants, PM10 and NOx based on current fuel duty levels for LPG and the main biofuels, where reliable emissions data exists. These figures do not take account of the other benefits of fuel diversification, such as fuel security issues, agricultural diversification and quieter engines.
	
		
			  Revenue cost of abatement(4) 
			 Fuel Carbon PM NOx  
		
		
			 LPG (conversion from new Euro III petrol) 3.2 63,000 920 
			 LPG (conversion from new Euro III diesel) 4.6 700 50  
			 Biodiesel (from recovered vegetable oil) 0.26–0.30 Some expected benefit. DfT plans to undertake furtheremissions testing work on this fuel. No benefit 
			 Biodiesel (from dedicated crops) 0.28–0.50 Some expected benefit. DfT plans to undertake furtheremissions testing work on this fuel. No benefit 
			 Bioethanol (from dedicated sugar and starch-rich crops) 0.28–0.50 1,200–1,800 No benefit 
		
	
	(4) £ per kg—all figures approximate
	Note:
	Figures for the air quality benefits of biofuels assume use as a 5 per cent. blend with conventional mineral fuels.

A27

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the incidents of (a) fatalities and (b) serious injuries recorded on the A27 between Lewes and Polegate in each of the last 10 years.

David Jamieson: I have asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Mr. Tim Matthews to write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Tim Matthews to Mr. Nigel Waterson, dated 6 March 2003
	I have been asked by the Transport Minister, David Jamieson, to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about accidents on the A27 between Lewes and Polegate, in each of the last ten years.
	The figures available are shown in the table below. They represent the number of accidents involving fatalities or serious injuries. When both fatal and serious injuries are involved in the same accident, it is recorded in the highest severity classification (ie fatality).
	
		
			 Year 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 
		
		
			 Fatal 4 0 1 2 3 0 4 2 3 
			 Serious 5 4 16 17 9 11 7 12 14 
		
	
	All the figures provided are for the length of the A27 from Ashcombe Roundabout (west of Lewes) and the A22 junction at Polegate. Prior to 1994 our records are incomplete and I am unable to provide accident figures covering those years.
	If you would like further information about accident issues on the A27 between Lewes and Polegate, the Area Manager, Mark Kumar, at our Dorking office would be pleased to help you. His telephone number is 01306 878115.

Air Accidents

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement about the relationship between (a) the Warsaw Convention and (b) EC Regulation 2027/97 (Air carrier liability in the event of accidents) in (i) its present form and (ii) as it will be amended by EC Regulation 889/2002. [R]

David Jamieson: Council Regulation (EC) No. 2027/97 was adopted to provide a greater level of consumer protection than that found in the Warsaw Convention. Although the regulation applies in a different way to the Convention, legal advice presented by the European Commission at the time of adoption of the regulation indicated that the proposed Community legislation was compatible with the Warsaw Convention. Council and Parliament Regulation (EC) No. 889/2002 was adopted to align the provisions of Regulation 2027/97 with those of the Montreal Convention, except that the intention of Regulation 889/2002 is that it will apply to Community air carriers in respect of all carriage undertaken. Again, legal advice presented at the time of adoption of the amending regulation was that the proposed Community measure is compatible with both the Warsaw and Montreal Conventions.

Air Accidents

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the different methods of securing compliance with the amended notice provisions of EC Regulation 2027/97 (air carrier liability in the event of accidents) which will apply after the Montreal Convention has come into force. [R]

David Jamieson: In the UK compliance with the information provisions of Council Regulation (EC) No: 2027/97 is secured by the Air Carrier Liability Order 1998. When the date of coming-into-force of Regulation 889/2002 (which is linked to the coming-into-force of the Montreal Convention) is known, the Air Carrier Liability Order will be amended to reflect the amended Community legislation. The sanction of a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale was thought to be more appropriate than withdrawal of the right to fly or an administrative fine.

Airports Review

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how he estimates the Internal Rate of Return and Net Benefit assessed for Packages 20 and 21 in Annex D of the February 2003 South East and East of England Regional Air Services (SERAS) document would be affected by a requirement that a developer should bear (a) 15 per cent. (b) 25 per cent. and (c) 30 per cent. of the surface access cost associated with those packages as assessed at SERAS Stages 2 and 3.

David Jamieson: The capital costs of the options at Gatwick and Cliffe used for the economic and financial appraisals of SERAS packages 20 and 21 included 100 per cent. of the costs of the surface access schemes associated with the airport development. The surface access schemes and costs for the two and four runway options at Cliffe are specified in Table 11.3 of the SERAS Stage 2 report and for the two single runway options at Gatwick in Table 2.2 of the SERAS Stage 3 report.

Congestion Charging

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will be able to provide an assessment of the changes to passenger mileage travelled by (a) bus, (b) coach, (c) train and (d) private car in the counties surrounding London consequent on the introduction of congestion charging.

David Jamieson: Transport for London will be assessing the effect of congestion charging on transport patterns within the London area, and intend to publish a comprehensive report early next year.

Finsbury Park Station

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the total cost of investment is in the refurbishment of Finsbury Park Station by (a) the Department and (b) other sources; and if he will make a statement on progress of the scheme.

David Jamieson: I understand that London Underground Limited are currently reviewing options for refurbishing Finsbury Park station, in conjunction with Transport for London, the London Borough of Islington and Network Rail.

London Underground

Martin Linton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he next plans to meet the Strategic Rail Authority to discuss the SRA Plan 2003, with particular reference to the proposals for the extension of London Underground's East London Line.

David Jamieson: Ministers regularly meet the Chairman of the SRA to discuss a variety of matters. The business case for the East London Line Extension is currently being considered. I hope an announcement will be made shortly.

London Underground

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received from the London Underground PPP, Consortia, and their component companies, for new legislation to restrain the Mayor of London and Transport for London in their operations; how he has responded; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: The Secretary of State is not proposing to legislate to constrain the Mayor or Transport for London in their operations, and has not received any representations that he should. The Government have proposed legislation, in the Railways and Transport Safety Bill currently before the House, to ensure that when London Underground is transferred to Transport for London, its contracts can continue to operate as intended.

London Underground

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the starting date is for full operation of the contract with Tube Lines and each of the two contracts with Metronet as part of the London Underground PPP; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: The contract with Tube Lines was completed on 31 December 2002. The Government expects the contracts with Metronet to be completed this spring.

London Underground

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what the benchmarks relating to average performance on the London Underground are; how they were arrived at; if he will make a statement on their significance; at what level in relation to those benchmarks the infrastructure companies in the London Underground PPP can operate without incurring a penalty; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how the figures at the commencement of the London Underground PPP contracts for the measurement of (a) bonuses and abatements and (b) passenger compensation will be determined for (i) lost customer hours and (ii) attributable delays; what the initial standards will be; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer to the hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington (Tom Brake) on 19 December 2001, Official Report, columns 508–09W.
	The payment of refunds to passengers under London Underground's Customer Charter is not a matter for the infrastructure companies and is therefore not covered by the PPP contracts.

London Underground

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he plans to alter the period of the contract with the London Underground PPP Infrastructure Consortia; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: My right hon. Friend has no such plans.

Montreal Convention

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the United Kingdom will ratify the Montreal Convention.[R]

David Jamieson: The United Kingdom will ratify the Montreal Convention when all 15 member states of the EU are in a position to do so simultaneously. Although the UK stands ready to deposit its instrument of ratification, a number of member states are not.

Railways

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reason public funds are being used to pay for the rectification of the shortage of power on the rail network in southern England; why the power supply problems were not realised at the time the order for new trains was placed; when the power supply upgrade will be completed; what effect he estimates this will have on the Government's target for increasing passenger traffic in the coming decade; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: The power supply upgrade is necessary to allow new trains to be introduced which will replace Mark 1 rolling stock, as required by the Railway Safety Regulations 1999. The Strategic Rail Authority is working with Network Rail on an approach to funding the upgrade that does not require the investment of public funds. The belated appreciation of the need for the upgrade reflected a failure of communication within the industry. The first phase of the power supply upgrade began in 2002 and is forecast to continue through to 2005. The upgrade is not in itself expected to affect the volume of passenger traffic on the network.

Road Improvements

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what guidance he gives to the Highways Agency on assessing road improvement schemes associated with accident black spots.

David Jamieson: The Highways Agency are responsible for monitoring and analysing accidents on the Trunk Road network, and taking appropriate action. "Tomorrow's Roads—Safer for Everyone" gives guidance on the Governments safety strategy and sets casualty reduction targets for 2010, including those that are to be achieved by the Highways Agency.
	A number of techniques are used to analyse and assess prospective improvements, but it is for the Highways Agency to decide which are used to determine the types of road safety schemes and priorities.

South West Trains

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many new trains are on order to South West Trains; how many of the new trains are expected to enter service on schedule; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: South West Trains have 785 new vehicles on order. The first new trains are expected to enter service in spring 2003 subject to completion of all necessary testing. Thereafter new trains will enter service on a regular basis through to the end of 2004 subject to power supply availability.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Correspondence

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when he will reply to the letter of 28 November 2002 from the hon. Member for Manchester, Central on the collection and recording of information on pupils' ethnic background.

Stephen Twigg: My hon. Friend the Minister of State for School Standards replied to my hon. Friend's letter of 28 November 2002 on 28 February.

Career Development Loans

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people obtained career development loans in Redcar and Cleveland in each of the last five years, broken down by (a) age and (b) course studied.

Margaret Hodge: The following tables show the number of people in the Redcar and Cleveland area who have been awarded a Career Development Loan (CDL), for every year since 1998. The tables break down the awards into age groups, and show the type of learning that the CDL was intended to help fund. Information is not collected on the actual course studied.
	
		Number of CDLs by course type—1998
		
			  Age range 
			  Under 20 20–29 30–39 40–49 Over 49 Total 
		
		
			 Commercial and Professional — 2 1 1 — 4 
			 Computer Skills 1 2 2 1 — 6 
			 Management — 1 1  — 2 
			 Driving Occupations — 2 5 1 2 10 
			 Post Graduate (other) — 1 — — — 1 
			 Sport Leisure and Tourism — — 1 — — 1 
			 Total 1 8 10 3 2 24 
		
	
	
		Number of CDLs by course type—1999
		
			  Age range 
			  Under 20 20–29 30–39 40–49 Over 49 Total 
		
		
			 Commercial and Professional — 5 1 — — 6 
			 Computer Skills — 3 5 — — 8 
			 Driving Occupations — 1 1 1 1 4 
			 Art and Drama — 1 — — — 1 
			 Environment Studies — — 1 — — 1 
			 Service/Selling occupations — — — — 1 1 
			 Science and technology — — 2 — — 2 
			 Other — 2 — — — 2 
			 Total — 12 10 1 2 25 
		
	
	
		Number of CDLs by course type—2000
		
			  Age range 
			  Under 20 20–29 30–39 40–49 Over 49 Total 
		
		
			 Commercial and Professional — 1 — — — 1 
			 Computer Skills — 13 13 3 1 30 
			 Health, Training, Welfare — 2 — — — 2 
			 Management 1 1 — — — 2 
			 Driving Occupations  2 — 2 — 4 
			 Art and Drama 1 2 — — — 3 
			 Environment Studies — 1 — — — 1 
			 Flying Occupations — 1 — — — 1 
			 Science and technology — 1 — — — 1 
			 Other — 6 — 1  7 
			 Total 2 30 13 6 1 52 
		
	
	
		Number of CDLs by course type—2001
		
			  Age range 
			  Under 20 20–29 30–39 40–49 Over 49 Total 
		
		
			  
			  
			 Commercial and Professional — 2 1 — — 3 
			 Computer Skills — 16 7 4 — 27 
			 Health, Training, Welfare — — 3 1 — 4 
			 Management — 1 — — — 1 
			 Driving Occupations —  1 3 — 4 
			 Environment Studies — 1 — — — 1 
			 Sport/Leisure/Tourism — 1 — — — 1 
			 General Career Counselling — — 1 — — 1 
			 Total — 21 13 8 — 42 
		
	
	
		Number of CDLs by course type—2002
		
			  Age range 
			  Under 20 20–29 30–39 40–49 Over 49 Total 
		
		
			 Computer Skills 1 8 10 4 2 25 
			 Health, Training, Welfare — 2 1 — 1 4 
			 Management — — — 1 — 1 
			 Driving Occupations — 1 2 — — 3 
			 Art and Drama — 2 — — — 2 
			 Environment Studies — 1 — — — 1 
			 Engineering — — — 1 — 1 
			 Other — 1 1 2 — 4 
			 Total 1 15 14 8 3 41 
		
	
	Note:
	These tables cover postcodes starting TS5, TS6 and TS10–14 inclusive, as confirmed with the borough of Redcar and Cleveland.

Career Development Loans

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what action is taken to publicise the availability of career development loans.

Margaret Hodge: Since they were launched in 1988 Career Development Loans (CDLs) have helped over 180,000 people fund vocational learning to improve their career prospects. CDLs are publicised via the CDL website on the Department's website, by learning providers, and participating banks. Information is also available via learndirect, Learning and Skills Councils, Information Advice and Guidance partnerships and various publications such as the leaflet "money to learn", the BBC's Career Essentials booklet and CDL advertising posters sent to learning providers and Jobcentres. The most recent national press publicity campaign was carried out in 1998. As CDLs are being considered as part of the review of funding of adult learning, there are no plans to further publicise the programme at present.

Career Development Loans

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people in the borough of Redcar and Cleveland (a) applied for and (b) obtained career development loans in each of the last five years; and what the rate of default is on repayment in each of the last three years.

Margaret Hodge: The exact number of Career Development Loan (CDL) applications by people in the borough of Redcar and Cleveland is not known. The rate of successful applications varies between the banks, but the overall success rate is around 75 per cent. of applications received. The number of successful applications in each year since 1998 is as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 1998 24 
			 1999 25 
			 2000 52 
			 2001 42 
			 2002 41 
		
	
	Note:
	This table covers postcodes starting TS5, TS6 and TS10–14 inclusive, as confirmed with the borough of Redcar and Cleveland
	The net default rate on CDLs taken out in the borough of Redcar and Cleveland is:
	2000—4.0 per cent
	2001—6.23 per cent.
	2002—no loans have defaulted to date
	The national underlying net default rate for CDLs since the programme began is 10.13 per cent. This compares to the 15 per cent. maximum operating default limit agreed with the banks to cover the higher level of risk they take in making these particular loans.

Career Development Loans

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidance the Department gives for (a) rates of repayment and (b) income levels for the commencement of the repayment of career development loans.

Margaret Hodge: Career Development Loans (CDLs) are commercial bank loans and the rates of repayment are decided by the participating banks. The banks have an agreement with the Department that the interest rate they charge will normally be no greater than the interest rate applicable to their normal personal loans, at the time that the CDL was granted.
	CDLs are not income-contingent therefore the Department does not give any guidance to the participating banks on income levels for starting repayment. However, an individual may be able to postpone the start of their repayments for up to 17 months if, when they are due to start repaying they are:
	unemployed and claiming related benefits;
	employed and receiving certain benefits (such as Income Support);
	taking part in a Government Training programme and in receipt of a training Allowance; or
	still attending the course for longer than expected due to ill health or other special circumstances.

Classroom Assistants

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  if he will make a statement on the proposed funding for schools to employ classroom assistants; when this money will be paid; and how much each (a) primary and (b) secondary school in (i) Lincolnshire, (ii) Nottinghamshire, (iii) Leicestershire and (iv) Boston and Skegness constituency will receive;
	(2)  if he will make a statement on the proposed funding for schools to employ persons under the rural area student teacher placement apprenticeship scheme; when this money will be paid; and how much each (a) primary and (b) secondary school in (i) Lincolnshire, (ii) Nottinghamshire, (iii) Leicestershire and (iv) Boston and Skegness constituency will receive.

David Miliband: The Government are committed to remodelling the school workforce in support of high quality teaching and learning. As part of this process, we are providing sufficient funding to enable schools to recruit at least 50,000 new full-time equivalent support staff over the course of this Parliament. The overall increase in revenue funding for schools, after specific identified pressures have been taken into account, will be £1.1 billion in 2003–04, £2 billion in 2004–05 and £3 billion in 2005–06—schools will be able to use some of this additional funding for workforce reform, including recruiting additional teaching assistants and other support staff members, if they choose to. These increases in funding are in addition to existing school budgets which many schools are already using to remodel the school workforce and recruit new support staff. Decisions about how many support staff to recruit, and the roles they fulfil, will continue to be taken by individual schools.
	For 2003–04 we are making available to authorities a total of £268 million (at 50 per cent. grant rate) to specifically cover the costs of recruiting school support staff (including teaching assistants) and extra administrative help, particularly for small schools. Of this £4,254,627 will go to Lincolnshire, £4,343,284 to Nottinghamshire and £3,155,825 to Leicestershire. The grant must be fully devolved to schools but it will be for LEAs to decide how to devolve this funding to schools. We therefore have no information available on Boston and Skegness constituency or on individual schools.
	I am unaware of the rural area student placement apprenticeship scheme to which the hon. Member refers.

Higher Education Funding

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what arrangements are in place for departmental and Funding Council monitoring of the access arrangements to higher education institutions.

Margaret Hodge: Access to higher education institutions is monitored through the Performance Indicators published by the Higher Education Funding Council for England.

IT Provision

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the Government's policy is on the provision of disabled people's IT needs; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Clarke: holding answer 25 February 2003
	All education and training provided through my Department, including IT training, is available to disabled people.
	Since the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 came into force in September 2002 it has been unlawful to discriminate against disabled students by treating them less favourably than others. In addition, responsible bodies have a duty to provide reasonable adjustments to provision where disabled students might otherwise be substantially disadvantaged. From September 2003 that duty will include adjustments involving the provision of auxiliary aids and services.
	My Department is working with the Disability Rights Commission, the Learning and Skills Council, the Higher Education Funding Council and other partners in the post-16 sector, to help providers implement the new duties with additional funding, guidance and training. £172 million has been allocated over the years 2002–04 to support this work.
	Provision of Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
	E learning and ICT can help disabled learners, and we recognise that the provision of assistive technologies can make a significant impact on their lives. My Department is working with the Department for Work and Pensions to improve coherence of access to and delivery of ICT equipment, services and information for disabled people. This is particularly relevant as they move from education to employment. It would also enable disabled people to use ICT provided for learning to also be used for employment or leisure.
	Many of the 6,000 plus UK online centres are equipped to meet the immediate, basic, access requirements of a large majority of learners. Some centres are specifically targeted at groups of people with disabilities to encourage not only learning but also inclusion into society. Work is currently under way to provide centres with adaptive technologies and training to enable them to provide a better service for disabled users. We will be evaluating their usage next year.
	Ufi/learndirect are implementing a specialist disability specific service for learning centres and individual learners, available through the learndirect help-line. The service is provided by AbilityNet, a national charity and the UK's leading provider of expertise on computing and disability, offering advice, information and guidance on hardware and software applications to improve accessibility and usability.

DEFENCE

Animals (Armed Forces)

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many animals, broken down by species, are employed by the armed forces; and in what capacity they are used.

Lewis Moonie: The Armed Forces employ 1,175 dogs and 452 horses. Dogs are categorised as Protection dogs, used to guard military installations etc and Specialist dogs, used to detect specific items, eg arms, explosives, drugs. Horses are all used in ceremonial roles.

Armed Forces Recruitment

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to change the restrictions on prospective soldiers who have served time in prison from joining the armed forces.

Lewis Moonie: All three Services apply the provisions of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act in considering applications from ex-prisoners. At the present time there are no plans to change any restrictions on joining the armed forces.

Aviation Security

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration he has given to the impact on the armed forces of the potential use of hand-held surface to air missiles on aviation security.

Adam Ingram: The lead responsibility for counter-terrorism in the United Kingdom rests with the Home Office and the police. They work closely with the Department for Transport and the transport industries to counter threats against civil aviation and other transport mfrastmcture. As well as being responsible for the security of our own estate and assets, the Ministry of Defence provides support to the civil authorities ni responding to the terrorist threat, through the use of the Armed Forces and the provision of scientific and technical expertise. In particular, we have, on a number of occasions, provided support to the police in enhancing civil aviation security, most recently during the security alert at Heathrow last month. Similar support will be made available in future should the need arise.

Diego Garcia

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what the current deployment is of British forces in Diego Garcia; and under whose command they operate;
	(2)  how many UK forces are normally deployed in Diego Garcia, broken down by rank; and how many, broken down by rank, are currently deployed.

Adam Ingram: The standard scheme of compliment of the Naval Party on Diego Garcia is 41 personnel, consisting of three officers, including Britmilrep, and 38 other ranks.
	The current deployed strength which carries out civil administration of the territory on behalf of the Commissioner for the British Indian Ocean Territory is 39 personnel. These personnel are currently under the operational command (OPCOM) of Commander-in-Chief Fleet, but on 1 April 2003 they will come under the command of the Chief of Joint Operations as part of a rationalisation of operational command responsibilities.
	The personnel broken down by rank is as follows:
	1 X Commander RN
	1 X Major RM
	1 X Captain RM
	Other ranks—Navy
	2 X Chief Petty Officers
	3 X Regulating Petty Officers
	12 X Leading Hands
	Other ranks—Royal Marines
	1 X Colour Sergeant
	1 X Sergeant
	5 X Corporals
	12 X Marines

Extended Range Ordnance/Modular Charge System

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether a new in-service date has been decided for the extended range ordnance/modular charge system; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 3 March 2003
	The In Service Date for the Extended Range Ordnance/Modular Charge System is under review as a result of technical difficulties that have been experienced with the programme.

Initial Training

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the Ministry of Defence's (a) suggested and (b) average supervisory ratios for initial training are; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: I assume that by initial training the hon. Member is referring to both Phase 1 training (recruit training) and Phase 2 training (initial specialist training).
	There are two aspects of supervision: formal training class size and pastoral care out of working hours. The level of supervision varies accordingly, such that meaningful data on average ratios is not readily available. The Ministry of Defence does not currently recommend supervisory ratios.
	In the case of class size, while there are no formal guidelines, there is a general acceptance of a benchmark ratio of 1:16. Actual class size varies by Service and depends on the subject being taught, the nature of the training activity and the facilities available.
	For pastoral care out of working hours, individual commanders across the Services set the ratios they deem appropriate to meet the needs of recruits and their training organisations. However, there is general agreement that a ratio of 1:12 is appropriate for Phase 1 training and this is broadly in place across the Services. In the case of Phase 2 training, these ratios increase and there are wider differences in Service practice. Current ranges of Phase 2 pastoral care staff/trainee ratios are as follows:
	RN—l:25 to l:50
	RM—1:12
	Army—1:40 to 1:75
	RAF—1:16 to 1:32
	The recent Appraisal of Initial Training by the Directorate of Operational Capability announced on 10 February 2003 recommended that central direction be introduced on supervisory ratios of initial training. An action plan was published at the same time to carry forward this and the report's other recommendations.

IT Contracts

Jonathan Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list IT contracts in his Department above £50 million in each of the last 10 years; what the inception date for each system was; when it became fully functional; when it became fully debugged; and what the cost of over-runs has been.

Adam Ingram: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Meteor Programme

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the estimated total cost to the UK for its share of the Meteor programme is; what the total estimated cost was in (a) May 2002 and (b) December 2002; how many Meteor missiles will be procured by his Department; and how many missiles were on order in (i) May 2002 and (ii) December 2002.

Adam Ingram: The current estimated total cost to the United Kingdom for its share in the Meteor programme is £1.16 billion (at outturn prices); this is the same as the forecast in December 2002. The forecast in May 2002 was £1.13 billion. The £30 million increase is solely due to the transfer of 5 per cent. of the development programme workshare from Germany to the United Kingdom.
	The United Kingdom is currently the only nation to have placed an order for production missiles. I am withholding details on the numbers being procured in accordance with Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, which relates to Defence, Security and International Relations. However, our requirements have not changed since my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence announced (in May 2000) that Meteor had been selected to meet our Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM) requirement. We expect to order additional quantities of Meteor on behalf of the other Partner Nations, once they have confirmed their production requirements.
	The Development and Production contract was placed with MBDA on 23 December 2002 and as such no missiles were on order in May 2002.

MOD Vehicle Fleet

Jonathan Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what the annual rate is at which his Department renews its vehicle fleet, by (a) volume and (b) percentage for each category of (i) vehicle, (ii) type of power unit, and (iii) type of fuel;
	(2)  what the annual rate is at which the Army renews its on road vehicle fleet, by (a) volume and (b) percentage for each category of (i) vehicle, (ii) type of power unit, and (iii) type of fuel;
	(3)  what the annual rate is at which the Royal Navy renews its on road vehicle fleet, by (a) volume and (b) percentage for each (i) category of vehicle, (ii) type of power unit, and (iii) type of fuel;
	(4)  what the annual rate is at which the Royal Air Force renews its on road vehicle fleet, by (a) volume and (b) percentage for each (i) category of vehicle, (ii) type of power unit and (iii) type of fuel.

Adam Ingram: The Ministry of Defence's non-operational fleet, which might be regarded as the road vehicle fleet, is supplied under the terms of a contract for service provision and the Department does not own the fleet.
	MOD also operates a large range of operational vehicle fleets. These fleets are not replaced under a rolling programme, but on the basis of the operational capability requirements of the Department. The information requested is not held centrally for these fleets and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	When procuring new operational vehicles MOD ensures compliance with current domestic and EU legislation and the current NATO single fuel policy. Since the acceptance and implementation of this policy by the UK in 1991, all operational vehicles procured are propelled by diesel engines with the capability to use aviation fuel (Avtur) in operational theatre. All in-service operational vehicles are either fitted with diesel engines or are subject to dieselisation programmes.

MOD Vehicle Fleet

Jonathan Sayeed: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what progress has been made, by (a) volume and (b) percentage for each category of (i) vehicle, (ii) type of power unit and (iii) type of fuel, on an annual basis, over each of the past three years, in renewal of his Department's vehicle fleet on a lower emission basis;
	(2)  what progress has been made, by (a) volume and (b) percentage for each category of (i) vehicle, (ii) type of power unit and (iii) type of fuel, on an annual basis, over each of the past three years, in renewal of the Royal Navy's vehicle fleet on a lower emission basis;
	(3)  what progress has been made, by (a) volume and (b) percentage for each category of (i) vehicle, (ii) type of power unit and (iii) type of fuel, on an annual basis, over each of the past three years, in renewal of the Army's vehicle fleet on a lower emission basis;
	(4)  what progress has been made by (a) volume and (b) percentage for each category of (i) vehicle, (ii) type of power unit and (iii) type of fuel, on an annual basis, over each of the past three years, in renewal of the Royal Air Force's vehicle fleet on a lower emission basis.

Lewis Moonie: The Ministry of Defence operates a large and diverse vehicle fleet. The detailed information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Reducing vehicle emissions is a key transport issue, which has been agreed as a priority across Government. Against a baseline year of 2002–03, all Departments are aiming by 31 March 2006 to reduce road transport vehicle carbon dioxide emissions by at least 10 per cent. and requiring at least 10 per cent. of all fleet cars to be alternatively fuelled.
	Progress against these targets will be reported in the Sustainable Development in Government annual report. The first full report against the Framework will be in 2003, reporting against the baseline year of 2002–03.
	MOD is committed to complying with the letter and spirit of UK air pollution control policy and legislation, including that derived from EC Directives on vehicle emissions. A copy of the relevant Joint Service Publication—418—can be found in the Library of the House.
	In addition, as part of the Framework for Sustainable Development on the Government Estate, MOD has published a draft transport strategy, which includes targets and measures to (i) reduce the total business mileage of land-vehicles; (ii) improve the average fuel efficiency of land-vehicles; and (iii) reduce total fuel consumed, including working with our contractors for the non-operational fleet and hire cars to demonstrate increasing use of alternatively fuelled vehicles.
	New projects for equipment acquisition are required to adhere to the spirit of the MOD travel strategy.
	A copy of the draft MOD travel strategy can be found at: http://www.mod.uk/linked files/dsef/sus dev/sdt strategy.pdf.

Naval Hulls

Bill Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the hulls of Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels of the (a) Leaf, (b) Rover and (c) Wave classes are categorised as (i) single, (ii) single reinforced and (iii) double.

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many RFA Ships have a double hull.

Adam Ingram: Royal Fleet Auxiliary Leaf and Rover Class vessels are single hulled and are fully compliant with current regulations and hold valid IOPP (International Oil Pollution Prevention) certificates.
	The Ministry of Defence's policy remains that, where practicable, we will comply with standards required by legislation. The implementation of a recent amendment to the regulations will, however, result in RFA tankers becoming non-compliant with MARPOL (the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships 1973 and the Protocol of 1978). A programme is in place to replace progressively the RFA single hulled tanker fleet which, subject to sufficient funding being identified, will result in MOD reaching compliance by 2010.
	The WAVE Class has been built in accordance with current regulations for new tankers and are therefore double hulled.
	None of the current RFA Fleet is double-hulled. However, the two new WAVE CLASS RFAs, that are undergoing trials before they enter service this spring,
	have been built with double-hulls.

Organophosphates

Paul Tyler: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what training and guidance is being given to British troops and hygiene units on the use of organophosphate pesticides in any potential conflict with Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: holding answer 3 February 2003
	Guidance on the safe and effective use of pesticides, including organophosphate insecticides, is provided in the Joint Services Manual on Pest Control. This covers safety requirements including the use of protective equipment, and states that insecticides may only be used by appropriately trained personnel. Environmental health briefs are issued to British forces deploying to the Gulf region as part of routine preparations.

Peacekeeping Duties

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British personnel are on peacekeeping duties, broken down by (a) regiment and (b) location.

Adam Ingram: There are presently some 3,400 British personnel deployed on peacekeeping operations throughout the world; some 500 are deployed to six UN operations, around 2,600 are deployed in support of NATO operations in the Balkans, and approximately 300 are deployed to Kabul as part of the International Security and Assistance Force (ISAF).
	The core of the United Kingdom's contribution to the UN Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) is provided by elements from 47th Regiment Royal Artillery. The United Kingdom's commitment to the Balkans includes a Battalion in Bosnia and Herzegovina, currently 1st Battalion The Royal Scots, and a Battalion in Kosovo, currently 1st Battalion The Staffordshire Regiment. The 21st Engineer Regiment provides a Squadron in Bosnia and 26th Engineer Regiment provides a Squadron in Kosovo. In Afghanistan, a Company from 2nd Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment will shortly provide the key United Kingdom contribution to ISAF.
	The bulk of Service personnel on peacekeeping duties are not deployed as part of formed regiments. They fulfil a variety of command, specialised and supporting roles, such as engineering, communications and logistics for formed national and multi-national headquarters.

Peacekeeping Duties

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to change the number of personnel on peacekeeping operations in (a) Bosnia, (b) Kosovo, (c) Sierra Leone and (d) Afghanistan.

Adam Ingram: In Bosnia and Kosovo we intend to reduce by the spring to the levels my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence announced in September last year. In keeping with the reductions in SFOR (Bosnia) and KFOR (Kosovo) planned as part of NATO's review of peacekeeping operations, the United Kingdom is reducing its forces from some 4,350 troops in September last year to some 2,500 by the spring of this—some 1,500 in Bosnia and 900 in Kosovo.
	The UK provides 21 UK personnel to the UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL), which is responsible for providing assistance to the Government of Sierra Leone in order to maintain law, order, peace and stability throughout the country. There are currently around 14,000 troops in UNAMSIL, which is expected to draw down by mid-2004.
	There are currently no plans to reduce the number of personnel in Afghanistan.

QinetiQ

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the £200 million to be received from the first stage of the PPP involving QinetiQ is net of the estimated £80 million restructuring costs; how much more he estimates the MOD will receive from the sale of QinetiQ (a) as a gross figure and (b) net of costs; whether the £80 million costs incurred is an increase on his Department's initial estimate for the PPP; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: The £200 million to be received from the sale of a stake in QinetiQ to The Carlyle Group is a gross figure. Of the approximately £80 million costs of the PPP process, around £58 million were incurred by either the DERA Trading Fund or by QinetiQ plc. The impact of these costs is shown in QinetiQ's accounts and would have been taken into consideration by the purchaser when valuing the company. The £200 million receipt from the initial transaction therefore already includes any adjustment resulting from these costs. The remaining £19 million costs incurred directly by the Ministry of Defence (in addition to some £3 million borne by the Dstl trading fund) should be deducted from the £200 million receipt in order to determine MOD's net proceeds from the transaction so far. It would however be misleading to view these costs solely in the context of the initial receipt as a significant proportion of them relate to the formation of QinetiQ as a separate commercial entity and consequently they need to be assessed against the total receipts from all stages of the PPP process.
	Any attempt to produce a precise estimate of likely proceeds or costs arising from the future sale of our remaining stake in QinetiQ would be purely speculative at this stage. The size of receipt is likely to be hundreds of millions of pounds, but will depend on the commercial success of the company as well as market conditions at the time of transaction. Although we anticipate that the sale will take place by means of a flotation in around three to five years, the final choice of timing and transaction will depend on value for money considerations. This choice will have an influence on the costs which are incurred.
	The total cost of £80 million is in line with the estimate given to the HCDC in May 2001. This estimate included an approximate expected cost of some £6.5 million for consultancy advice to MOD on the whole DERA PPP, but we now expect the final total for this element of the costs to be around £17 million. A significant proportion of this increase results from additional work necessary to respond to difficult market conditions. This included the need to keep open both the options of a flotation as well as a strategic partnership. Extra work was also carried out to analyse and apportion liabilities following loss of capacity in the insurance markets after the events of 11 September 2001.

QinetiQ

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 15 January, Official Report, column 687W, on QinetiQ, when he expects his Department to receive payment of the £100 million outstanding.

Lewis Moonie: When QinetiQ was created as a plc it purchased assets from the Ministry of Defence with a combination of shares and an obligation in the form of an interest bearing loan note to pay a further £150 million to the MOD. QinetiQ paid £50 million principal plus accrued interest in February 2002.
	As part of the transaction with The Carlyle Group, a further £50 million of the loan notes will be repaid before the end of this financial year (2002–03). The remaining £50 million is secured against property at Chertsey and will be repaid to the MOD as payments are received from the sale. The detailed timings of these payments are still the subject of commercial negotiations with potential purchasers.

QinetiQ

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the estimated market value of QinetiQ is; and what the value of the company was on 1July 2001.

Lewis Moonie: Carlyle placed an overall enterprise value on the company of £500 million following a competitive sale process. The £500 million was based on the futurecash-flows of the business and did not take into account liabilities, other obligations or outstanding debt. The liabilities, other obligations and outstanding debt were £375 million leaving an equity value for the business of £125 million.
	When QinetiQ was vested as a plc in July 2001 it was required to purchase its assets from the Ministry of Defence. At this point there was no means to establish the market value of the business, and the price paid for the assets was based on the net book value of £495 million shown in QinetiQ's accounts. It is important to note that this figure does not reflect the value of QinetiQ as an ongoing business nor, given the very specialised nature of many of QinetiQ's assets, does it reflect their potential sale value on the open market.

QinetiQ

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the most recent pro forma accounts for QinetiQ.

Lewis Moonie: QinetiQ was formed as a public limited company on 1 July 2001. In accordance with the Companies Act 1985 publication of accounts is the responsibility of the plc's management. The next full year accounting period end for QinetiQ is 31 March 2003 and QinetiQ's management will be required to publish these results within the timescales laid down in the Companies Act 1985. The Ministry of Defence cannot independently publish pro forma accounts for the plc.

RAF (Overflight Rights)

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which countries have refused the UK's armed forces overfly rights in the last three months; and what reasons were provided in each case.

Adam Ingram: There are currently no countries that have refused to grant the United Kingdom armed forces overflight rights. Diplomatic clearance is sought, through normal channels, on an individual basis for each flight.

RAF Continuous Attitude Survey

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 25 February, ref. 99186, where and how the RAF Continuous Attitude Survey was published in September 2002; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: The RAF continuous General Attitude Survey was published for limited internal use only in September 2002; a copy was not placed in the Library of the House. We are currently reviewing the range of survey material to release and appropriate ways of putting it in the public domain.

RAF Fairford

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the operational status is of RAF Fairford.

Adam Ingram: RAF Fairford is a NATO designated standby base made available to the United States Visiting Force. We have recently agreed to a US request to deploy 14 B-52 aircraft to RAF Fairford as part of our contingency planning designed to maintain the flexibility of our military options. The deployment does not represent a decision to take military action.
	The use of United Kingdom bases, including RAF Fairford, by US forces for combat operations against Iraq would be a matter for joint decision by the UK and US Governments at the appropriate time.

Reservists

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many inquiries from (a) reservists and (b) the families of reservists he has received concerning miscalculation of their enhanced pay since being called up.

Lewis Moonie: None.

Reservists

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the (a) allowances and (b) enhanced pay paid to reservists were last increased.

Lewis Moonie: Pay levels for members of the armed forces (including the reserve forces) are set by the Armed Forces Pay Review Body (AFPRB), whose annual report was published on 7 February 2003. A copy is available in the Library of the House. Its recommendations have been accepted in full, and will come into force on 1 April with the exception of the changes to Longer Separated Service Allowance (LSSA) and Longer Service at Sea Bonus (LSSB), which were implemented on 1 March.
	Those allowances not set by the AFPRB are reviewed biannually by the Ministry of Defence, with changes usually coming into effect in August.
	When called out into permanent service, reservists receive the same basic pay and allowances as their regular counterparts. In addition, members of the reserve forces whose civilian earnings are greater than their military pay may claim financial assistance under regulations set out in the Reserve Forces (Call-Out and Recall) (Financial Assistance) Regulations 1997 (Statutory Instrument 1997/309).

Reservists

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he plans to lay orders before the House increasing the allowances and enhanced pay to reservists.

Lewis Moonie: Directed letters setting out the new pay rates for reservists, as well as the levels of training bounty, were dispatched on 24 February. These reflect the recommendations of the Armed Forces Pay Review Body's report of 7 February, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.
	The regulations governing financial assistance for reservists ("The Reserve Forces (Call-Out and Recall) (Financial Assistance) Regulations 1997"—SI 1997/309) are currently under review.

South Korea

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British personnel are attached to the United Nations staff in South Korea.

Adam Ingram: One British Naval lieutenant is currently working for the United Nations Command Military Armistice Commission (UNCMAC) on a six month attachment. In addition, the Defence Attaché (a Brigadier) and the Naval/Air Attaché (a Group Captain) are accredited to UNCMAC in their capacities as Commonwealth Member of the MAC and Chief of the UK Advisory Group respectively.

US Ballistic Missile Defence

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what timetable has been set for a decision on the upgrade and use of (a) RAF Fylingdales and (b) RAF Menwith Hill as part of the US Administration's Ballistic Missile Defence System.

Geoff Hoon: As I informed the House on 5 February 2003, Official Report, columns 11–12WS, the Government has agreed to the US Administration's request to upgrade the early warning radar at RAF Fylingdales for missile defence purposes. The upgrade work is expected to begin towards the end of this year and take about two years to complete.
	In advance of the work beginning, the Government needs to negotiate a detailed agreement with the US covering both the upgrade itself and future arrangements for the upgraded radar, while the US also need to undertake comprehensive design work, site surveys, budgetary planning and other preparatory work.
	No request has been received for the use of RAF Menwith Hill for missile defence purposes.

US Bases

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements exist for members of the US National Guard to be deployed at US bases in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: Any deployment of members of the US National Guard to bases made available to the US Visiting Force in the United Kingdom falls within the arrangements laid down by the NATO Status of Forces Agreement 1951.

LORD CHANCELLOR

Community Legal Services

Nigel Jones: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what assessment has been made of the impact of Amendment 3 of the Community Legal Services (Financial) Regulations 2001; and what assessment has been made of the impact on people with disposable incomes of between £263 and £695 per month.

Rosie Winterton: Amendment 3 of the Community Legal Services (Financial) Regulations 2001 revised the financial eligibility criteria for Community Legal Service (CLS) funding. The primary intentions behind the eligibility reforms were to simplify the procedure for gaining Legal Representation (while broadly preserving the numbers qualifying), and to bring the eligibility level for Legal Help closer to that for Legal Representation.
	Data provided by the Legal Services Research Centre from its applicant survey showed that if we are to target the most needy, the gross income cap should be maintained and certain state benefits should be disregarded from the gross income test.
	The impact on people with a disposable income between £263 and £695 per month who are required to make a contribution to their funding has been limited. There has been no significant increase in the mean contribution required.

HM Land Registry

David Laws: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what the market value is of each property owned by HM Land Registry; how many staff work in each office; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The Land Registry's policy is to obtain a professional valuation of its freehold and long leasehold land and buildings every three years. In the intervening years, the figures are updated by "desktop" valuations. The last full valuation was carried out in January 2002 and the market value for each of the Registry's freehold buildings from that valuation is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Freehold property Market value 2002 (£) 
		
		
			 Southfield House, Durham 3,700,000 
			 Earle House, Hull 1,640,000 
			 Birkenhead House, Lytham 3,900,000 
			 Old Market House, Birkenhead 3,550,000 
			 Warton Camp, Lytham 4,400,000 
			 Lincoln's Inn Fields 8,970,000 
			 Forest Court, Tunbridge Wells 6,850,000 
			 Brickdale House, Stevenage 6,000,000 
			 Henlow Camp, Stevenage 150,000 
			 St. Andrew's Court, Portsmouth 5,319,000 
			 Plumer House, Plymouth 5,500,000 
			 Drake's Hill Court, Plymouth 1,676,000 
			 Ty Bryn Glas, Swansea 2,825,000 
			 Manselton, Swansea 50,000 
			 Parkside Court, Telford 4,195,000 
			 Rosebrae Court, Birkenhead 4,985,000 
			 Boldon House, Durham 3,400,000 
			 Melcombe Court, Weymouth 5,400,000 
			 Chalfont Drive, Nottingham 4,000,000 
			 Westbridge Place, Leicester 4,500,000 
		
	
	The current staffing level at each of the Land Registry's offices is listed as follows. Part-time staff have been treated as whole units.
	
		
			 Land Registry Office Staffing 
		
		
			 Birkenhead (Old Market House) 319 
			 Birkenhead (Rosebrae) 269 
			 Coventry 349 
			 Croydon 233 
			 Durham (Boldon) 357 
			 Durham (Southfield) 401 
			 Gloucester 492 
			 Harrow 274 
			 Hull 338 
			 Lancashire 219 
			 Leicester 319 
			 Lytham 366 
			 Nottingham (East) 307 
			 Nottingham (West) 421 
			 Peterborough 463 
			 Plymouth 440 
			 Portsmouth 285 
			 Stevenage 424 
			 Swansea 291 
			 Telford 367 
			 Tunbridge Wells 315 
			 Wales 430 
			 Weymouth 425 
			 York 155 
			 Headquarters 334 
			 Computer Services, Plymouth 389 
			 Land Charges 89

Legal Aid Budget

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what the Legal Aid budget was in 1996; and what the budget is this year.

Rosie Winterton: I apologise for the delay in replying. For the financial year 1996–97, provision for Legal Aid was £1,456 million; provision for this financial year (2002–03) is £1,871 million.

Legal Services

David Laws: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how much has been spent on publicly funded legal services in each year from 1989–90 to 2003–04 (planned), in real terms at 2000–01 prices; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The figures requested, covering the period from 1989–90 to 2002–03, are shown in the table in real terms at 2000–01 prices. Plans for 2003–04 are not yet finalised. Expenditure options are being considered in the light of the Department's Spending Review settlement.
	
		Net Expenditure in Cash Terms -- £ million
		
			  Civil Criminal Total 
		
		
			 1989–90 339 476 815 
			 1990–91 400 515 915 
			 1991–92 548 596 1,144 
			 1992–93 717 619 1,336 
			 1993–94 815 629 1,444 
			 1994–95 860 670 1,530 
			 1995–96 887 705 1,592 
			 1996–97 897 739 1,636 
			 1997–98 851 790 1,641 
			 1998–99 884 816 1,700 
			 1999–2000 786 801 1,587 
			 2000–01 791 873 1,664 
			 2001–02 717 959 1,676 
			 2002–03(5) 776 1,053 1,829 
		
	
	(5) Estimated.
	The implementation of the Access to Justice Act has brought a measure of control to civil public funding and enabled the private sector to support money claims, thereby leaving public funding to help tackle social exclusion and support families. The increase in criminal public funding contributes towards the Government's agenda for tackling crime and improving confidence in the criminal justice system.

Magistrates Courts

Ben Chapman: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she will make a statement on the success of warrant enforcement by the magistrates courts committees since 1 April 2001.

Yvette Cooper: There are wide variations in the performance of the magistrates courts committees (MCCs). Some are very successful while the performance of others is completely unacceptable.
	The MCCs are independent bodies, however, the new Performance Contracts, which are being set for next year, will enable each MCC to receive extra resources conditional on their improved performance and that their future plans are credible and achievable.
	My Department is currently in the process of encouraging the sharing of good practice among the MCC community. The poorer performing MCCs are getting increased support and have met with Ministers to discuss their concerns and future plans.
	There are new provisions in the Courts Bill including new powers to improve fine enforcement and the Unified Administration which will introduce a proper performance management framework to address unacceptable performance.

Magistrates Courts

Ben Chapman: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she will make a statement on the procedure for the collection of outstanding fines imposed by magistrates' courts.

Yvette Cooper: On 1 April 2001, MCCs took on formal responsibility from police forces for executing all fines and breach warrants. MCCs employ a variety of approaches to enforce fines and other payments. They may employ their own civilian enforcement officers, contract work out to approved enforcement agencies, contract work back to the local police force or use a combination of these methods. Some MCCs also use private bailiffs, as meets their local needs.

Motor Injury Claims

Dave Watts: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if the Lord Chancellor will introduce legislation to set a minimum limit for disability suffered before court actions arising from motor injury claims may be proceeded with.

Rosie Winterton: The Government have no plans to introduce legislation in this area.

Special Advisers/Press Officers

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many (a) special advisers and (b) press officers were employed (i) full-time, (ii) part-time and (iii) on a contract basis by her Department in (A) 2001–02 and (B) 2002–03.

Rosie Winterton: pursuant to the answer, 13 February 2003, Official Report, c. 978W
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 24 February 2003, Official Report, column 20W. The Lord Chancellor's Department has one special adviser who was employed full-time during 2001–02 and 2002–03.
	All press officers were employed full-time during 2001–02 and 2002–03. The Lord Chancellor's Department has not employed any press officers on a part-time or contract basis.

Unpaid Fines

Ben Chapman: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she will issue guidance to magistrates courts committees on the recovery of outstanding fines imposed by magistrates courts.

Yvette Cooper: Guidance on the enforcement of financial penalties was issued in 1996 (amended in 1997) and a revised version issued in 2001 following the transfer of responsibility of warrant execution. The guidance is currently being updated and consolidated.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Commonwealth Games

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessments have been made of the economic and social impact of the 2002 Commonwealth Games on (a) the city of Manchester and (b) the UK.

Richard Caborn: A full economic and social impact assessment of the 2002 Commonwealth Games was commissioned by Manchester city council. The study was undertaken by Cambridge Policy Consultants (CPC) and identified the impact of the Games at a range of spatial levels—East Manchester, North West and the UK.
	The full report and executive summary was published in April 2002, and was made available to all key partners. The executive summary was publicly available, and the full report was available by request. The executive summary was then revised post-Games by CPC to assess the robustness of their original analysis. The revised summary was made available in October 2002. Work is under-way on the development of an evaluation framework which will continue to measure the legacy of the Games. I will arrange for copies of the report to be placed in the Library of the House.
	The Public Sector Funders and Manchester 2002 defined the following shared objectives in relation to the Games:
	To position the UK as a Centre of International Sport, and to demonstrate the UK's ability to host a major international sporting event. To view the games as one means of strengthening sports participation at all levels
	To strengthen the economic and social capacity of the City/Region, recognising the importance of capturing maximum benefits to justify the significant capital investment in facilities
	To advance policies for greater social inclusion, promotion of diversity, access to sport and volunteering
	To showcase Britain internationally and to raise the profile of the Commonwealth
	An assessment of how well these objectives were achieved was included in an independent 'lessons learned' report, jointly commissioned by my Department, Manchester city council and Sport England in June 2002.
	This full published report can be viewed on the DCMS website at www.culture.gov.uk.

National Lottery

Dave Watts: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress has been made in increasing Lottery funds allocated to coalfield areas.

Richard Caborn: The Government have encouraged Lottery distributors to work with each other and with local organisations and agencies to increase the capacity within coalfield areas to produce successful Lottery applications. In addition, a number of coalfield areas are benefiting from the Fair Share Initiative launched in June 2001. Prior to the Lottery reforms in August 1998, the amount awarded per capita to coalfield areas was approximately 45 per cent. of the amount awarded to Great Britain on a per capita basis since the Lottery's inception. This figure had increased to 62 per cent. by November 2002.

National Lottery

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list Lottery grants awarded to projects connected with (a) mental health among young people and (b) combating antisocial behaviour.

Richard Caborn: Lottery distributors have funded a range of projects connected with mental health among young people and combating anti-social behaviour. For example, the New Opportunities Fund Healthy Living Centres programme has made awards worth over £204 million to 257 projects in England. Of these, 75 per cent. stated on their application forms that they would be undertaking work to promote good mental health. A significant number of these schemes are also working with young people.
	The New Opportunities Fund has made £38.75 million available to its Activities for Young People programme, which has opened up opportunities for school leavers who are at risk of social exclusion. The Fund has also awarded £8.8 million to the Youth Justice Board to run projects engaging young people most at risk of offending through a diverse range of activities.
	The Community Fund has estimated that, over the last 12 months, it has made 94 grants totalling £7,699,694 to projects aimed at young people with mental health issues, and 60 grants totalling £6,203,333 to projects aimed at combating anti-social behaviour among young people.

Obesity

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what local exercise action pilots have been introduced by Sport England in collaboration with the Countryside Agency and the Department of Health to tackle obesity and increase physical activity.

Richard Caborn: The Local Exercise Action Pilots Programme is a joint initiative funded by the Department of Health, Sport England and the Countryside Agency, with support from the Local Government Association, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Department for Education and Skills and Department for Transport. Nine local Primary Care Trust led pilots are being developed to test out and investigate effective approaches to increasing access to, and levels of, physical activity. The pilot sites will be announced this month.

Sports Participation

Mr. Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what action she is taking to increase the number of (a) Muslim and (b) Asian people involved in (i) sport and (ii) contact sports; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Caborn: Sport England provides a range of programmes to promote accessibility to sport for marginalised groups. The monies allocated for this purpose will in future be administered in the regions which will improve the targeting of funds to where they are most needed, including to the Muslim and Asian communities where appropriate.
	DCMS also part funds the initiative Sporting Equals, a collaboration of Sport England and The Commission for Racial Equality to promote racial equality in sport.
	Through their policy document Game Plan, Government are concentrating efforts to lessen the barriers to participation of the most sedentary groups, and in this way will tackle sporting marginalisation in other key groups including those from ethnic minorities.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Afghanistan

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of whether UN Security Council Resolution 1325 is being implemented in the work of reconstruction in Afghanistan.

Clare Short: The international community continues to support enhanced protection of Women's rights in Afghanistan following the fall of the Taliban. A key milestone will be the forthcoming draft of the new constitution, to be presented at the Constitutional Loya Jirga. The international community (including the UK and the EU) are working to ensure that women's rights are fully protected in the constitution.
	Progress on improving women's rights varies according to locality, but there are encouraging signs in many areas. Approximately 3 million children have now returned to school, of whom about 30 per cent are girls. However, the proportion of women and girls involved in education varies according to region.
	The position of vulnerable women, such as widows and orphans, is still a major concern, particularly in urban areas. WFP and FAO are hoping to expand their employment and livelihood activities (bakery and poultry co-operatives that recruit vulnerable women and girls) in an effort to improve the situation.

Kyrgyzstan

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will grant additional resources to the Kyrgyzstan police project above the money already awarded.

Denis MacShane: I have been asked to reply.
	We have agreed to support the second phase of an Organisation for Security and Co-operation (OSCE) police assistance project in Kyrgyzstan.
	Her Majesty's Government's Global Conflict Prevention Pool (GCPP) has so far pledged voluntary funding of Euro400,000 over two Financial Years. This support of the second phase, however, is conditional upon sufficient pledges from other states being offered to make it reasonably certain that the project can be completed.

Oil for Food Programme

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the cost of the aid that would be required to replace the Oil for Food Programme following a military campaign in Iraq.

Clare Short: 60 per cent. of the Iraqi population are dependent on the UN Oil For Food Programme. Current annual expenditures under the programme run at around $10 billion, the largest elements of which are the food allocation ($3 billion) and basic service delivery supplies (health, education, water and sanitation and electricity—$2 billion). Should there be conflict, the UK will aim to minimise any disruption to the programme and work towards its re-establishment as quickly as possible.

Poverty Reduction Strategies

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what action her Department is taking to increase the participation of civil society in poverty reduction strategies.

Clare Short: DFID provides support directly through country programmes and indirectly through Partnership Programme Agreements to build up the capacity of civil society organisations in developing countries to engage in PRS processes. For example Catholic Church institutions have played a significant role in the PRS process in Zambia.

Smoking

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what policy her Department has adopted on smoking in the workplace.

Clare Short: DFID has a no smoking policy throughout our offices, except in designated smoking rooms/areas that are equipped with specific individual smoke extraction and ventilation systems.

Sudan

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps she is taking to address the humanitarian situation in the Southern Blue Nile region of Southern Sudan.

Clare Short: We have not funded any interventions in Southern Blue Nile recently. Our humanitarian support is targeted accorded to demonstrated humanitarian need. If these needs are found in Southern Blue Nile we will certainly consider making a response.
	A number of recent assessments have taken place (e.g. a joint World Food Programme/UNICEF team visited the region 17–23 February); their findings, once they are made known, will inform our decisions. Our representative in the British Embassy in Khartoum liaises with the UN and other agencies working in-country to keep our information up to date.

Swaziland

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what impact she estimates the national crop survey conducted by the World Food Programme and Food and Agriculture Organisation findings will have on the levels of aid provided by her Department in Swaziland.

Clare Short: The recent preliminary crop assessments by the Food and Agriculture Organisation have indicated that there will be another very poor harvest in the lowveld. Over the last year we have already provided £250,000 to the World Food Programme for their humanitarian operations in Swaziland. We are finalising support to both UNICEF (£200,000) to improve the water and sanitation facilities at 80 schools, and to Save the Children (£70,000) to provide a livelihoods economist to help plan recovery programmes in the most vulnerable areas.
	Once more reliable figures for this harvest are available we will consider further support through the World Food Programme's regional humanitarian programme covering also Mozambique, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Lesotho, and Angola.

Zimbabwe

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what changes her Department will make to its humanitarian aid programme in Zimbabwe as a result of the announcement of the Famine Early Warning Systems Network that food aid will be required for another 12 months.

Clare Short: It has been evident for some months that food production in Zimbabwe would be affected for the third year in succession by the combination of disruption to farming; economic policies that are a disincentive to production; lack of agricultural credit and inputs, and patchy rains. Current DFID and WFP feeding programmes extend until June 2003. DFID is already working with the international community to assess needs for the year ahead, and to identify the extent to which the international community needs to assist in meeting the gap.

PRIVY COUNCIL

Smoking

Chris Grayling: To ask the President of the Council what policy his Department has adopted on smoking in the workplace.

Robin Cook: My Department has adopted a non-smoking policy. Smoking is not allowed in communal and working areas and is permitted only in the designated areas provided. This policy applies to staff working in both 9 Downing street and 2 Carlton Gardens.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Crown Prosecution Service

David Laws: To ask the Solicitor General what the reasons were for the change in total public spending on the Crown Prosecution Service between 1998–99 and 2003–04; and if she will make a statement.

Harriet Harman: holding answer 4 March 2003
	Since 1998–99 funding for the Crown Prosecution Service has increased, both in response to increasing workload and to support the departmental reform and modernisation programme.
	As part of the SR 2000 Spending Review plans, the Treasury created a Criminal Justice Reserve worth £100 million in 2001–02 and £525 million over the three years up to 2003–04. We are investing in the CPS an additional £30 million in 2001–02, £59 million in 2002–03 and £76 million in 2003–04 from the Reserve.
	The increase in funding allowed the Crown Prosecution Service to recruit the lawyers and caseworkers needed to handle more cases, better, and provided for programmes and initiatives dealing with victims and witnesses and information technology. The Crown Prosecution Service has successfully completed the first stage of its programme to modernise IT, electronic communications systems and the office environment for approximately 6,800 staff across 100 sites.
	The CPS will also focus resources on closer partnership, working with the police by providing early advice and assuming responsibility for charging.

Serious Fraud Office

David Laws: To ask the Solicitor General how many (a) investigations and (b) prosecutions by the Serious Fraud Office there were in each year since 1988; how many prosecutions led to a conviction in each year; what the total cost was; and if she will make a statement.

Harriet Harman: holding answer 4 March 2003
	The following table provides all the relevant Serious Fraud Office statistics in relation to investigations, prosecutions and the total cost from the inception of the SFO in April 1988 to date (end of February 2003).
	
		
			 Financial year(April to April) Active caseloadat year end Trials completedin year Number of defendants in trials completed Number of convictions in trials completed(by defendant) Annual total cost £ million 
		
		
			 1988–89 66 9 14 10 6.86 
			 1989–90 61 17 32 24 9.21 
			 1990–91 56 27 72 45 13.19 
			 1991–92 60 28 58 38 17.71 
			 1992–93 57 25 49 35 20.99 
			 1993–94 48 23 54 32 19.03 
			 1994–95 50 13 31 16 18.03 
			 1995–96 70 11 23 18 17.33 
			 1996–97 82 8 14 12 16.58 
			 1997–98 78 14 39 37 16.3 
			 1998–99 65 18 38 31 16.1 
			 1999–2000 81 8 12 11 15.9 
			 2000–01 70 24 58 51 19.7 
			 2001–02 75 8 13 10 23.03 
			 2002–03 72 13 26 17 (6)28.09 
			 Total 991 246 519 377 258.05 
		
	
	(6) Provisional
	I draw attention to the second column of the table 'Active Caseload at Year End', where the figures represent those cases actually under investigation, those awaiting trial and those where a trial had been commenced but had not been formally concluded with a verdict or verdicts. I feel the other statistics speak for themselves.
	Since its inception, the conviction rate of the Serious Fraud Office as an average, is 84 per cent. by number of trials in which at least one defendant was found guilty and 73 per cent. by number of defendants, which I am sure the hon. Gentleman will agree is a respectable record.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps are being taken to encourage Afghanistan to ratify CEDAW.

Mike O'Brien: We believe that adherence to international human rights norms, including the UN Charter and CEDAW (the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, which a previous Afghan Government signed in 1980, but did not ratify) are key to restoring the rights of women in Afghanistan.
	We continue to encourage the Afghan Transitional Administration to work towards ratification of CEDAW. We raised this most recently with the Afghan Minister for Women, Habiba Sarabi, when she visited the UK from 9–15 February 2003. We also co-sponsored the 2002 UN Commission on the Status of Women Resolution on Afghanistan, which urged the Afghan authorities to give high priority to ratification of CEDAW, and to consider signing and ratifying the Optional Protocol to the Convention.

Afghanistan

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress is being made on women's access to justice in Afghanistan.

Mike O'Brien: Lack of capacity in the judicial and legal sector means that access to justice remains difficult for all Afghans. Women face particular problems including in exercising their rights to property and to divorce. Women are represented on the Drafting Committee of the Constitutional Commission, tasked with drafting a new constitution, and on the Judicial Commission, responsible for overseeing development of the legal system. This should help to ensure that women's needs are taken into account in the reform process.
	We have recently pledged £1 million to support the United Nations Development Programme's work on rebuilding the justice sector in Afghanistan, in partnership with the Judicial Commission. A major focus of their work will be to improve women's access to justice.

Biological and Toxic Weapons Convention

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will take steps to encourage signatories to the Biological and Toxic Weapons Convention to monitor their compliance with its terms.

Mike O'Brien: The first meeting of BWC technical experts, which will take place in Geneva from 18 to 29 August this year, will focus on national implementation, including penal legislation and bio-security. This meeting will provide a major opportunity to encourage states parties to take steps to monitor their own compliance with the Convention.
	The UK will table papers setting out some of the specific requirements which may need to be included in national measures to implement the Convention and in penal legislation. We will use our own experience in health, safety and physical security legislation to outline minimum standards for other states parties to follow, where they are presently without comparable legislation. The UK will also use this meeting to argue the case for a sustained international process to encourage all states parties to put in place legislation and effective measures to ensure implementation of the Convention.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will reply to the letter to him dated 28 January 2003 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. John Meah.

Jack Straw: I apologise to my right hon. Friend for not replying to his earlier letter. This was due to a clerical error. I will write to him about Mr. Meah's case this week.

Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the hon. Member for Walsall, North will receive a reply to his letter of 16 January regarding a constituent.

Mike O'Brien: I have replied to my hon. Friend. There was a delay in reply due to an administrative oversight and I apologise for that.

Falun Gong

Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the Chinese Government's attempts under Article 23 legislation to curtail the practice of Falun Gong in Hong Kong without consultation with the people of Hong Kong; and whether this is in contravention of safeguards given to the people of Hong Kong when the territory was returned to China.

Bill Rammell: Under Article 23 of the basic law, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) Government is required to "enact laws on its own to prohibit any act of treason, secession, sedition, subversion against the Central People's Government, or theft of state secrets, to prohibit foreign political organisations or bodies from conducting political activities in the region, and to prohibit political organisations or bodies of the region from establishing ties with foreign political organisations or bodies".
	The SAR Government published a consultation document outlining its proposals to implement this requirement on 24 September 2002. Following a public consultation exercise lasting three months, the SAR Government published draft legislation on 14 February 2003. This incorporated several changes to the initial proposals, in response to concerns expressed during the consultation period. We welcome this demonstration of the SAR Government's willingness to take account of views expressed. The legislation has now been submitted to the Legislative Council (LegCo). It is anticipated that there will be lengthy discussions in LegCo, including public hearings, before the legislation is agreed. Once the law has come into force, any decisions made on the implementation of the new legislation will be open to judicial review in the Hong Kong courts which, under the "One Country, Two Systems" policy, are independent from the legal system in mainland China.
	We issued statements about the original proposals in November 2002. In these, we referred to concerns in Hong Kong about the outline proposals concerning the proscription of organisations. These concerns were voiced by many individuals and organisations, including Falun Gong. We are now studying the precise wording of the draft legislation. We have, however, noted that the Hong Kong Secretaries for Justice and Security have both said that this legislation would not be aimed at imposing sanctions on any group such as the Falun Gong.
	On a visit to Hong Kong in January 2003, I discussed Article 23 in some detail with senior members of the SAR Government. I made clear to them our concerns about the proposals. On a visit to Beijing before arriving in Hong Kong, I also took the opportunity to discuss Article 23 with Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister, Zhang Yesui.
	The SAR Government have given repeated assurances that the final legislation will be compatible with the basic rights and freedoms laid down in the Joint Declaration and guaranteed by the basic law. These include the requirement that the legislation will be compatible with the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. It is vital for the future prosperity of Hong Kong that its people and the international community perceive this to be the case when legislation is finally passed. We shall continue to watch this crucial issue very carefully.

United States

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what joint foreign policy initiatives have been (a) planned and (b) agreed with the US Administration in the last 12 months.

Bill Rammell: We work in close collaboration with the US on a wide range of foreign policy issues including, for example, the war on terrorism and the security sector reform of Afghanistan.
	We work particularly closely with the United States on international security, economic and third world development policy, and will continue to do so in the future.

Hospitality

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his Department's hospitality budget (a) is in 2002–03 and (b) was in each of the last three years; and how much was left unspent at the end of each financial year.

Bill Rammell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 27 January 2003, Official Report, column 567W on FCO expenditure on entertainment. Overseas missions and UK departments are allocated budgets which they are free to assign to purposes such as entertainment in order best to achieve their objectives. They also reallocate within their overall budget as the year passes. So there is no centrally-administered entertainment budget which would be underspent at the year's end.

Indonesia

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations his Department has made to the Indonesian Attorney General's Office on the case of Mr. Peters and Mr. Rennie since August 2000.

Mike O'Brien: In August 2001, the then Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign Office, my hon. Friend the Member for Exeter (Mr. Bradshaw) raised our concerns about the Balibo murders with the Indonesian Attorney General when he visited Indonesia. In August 2002, the EU, at our request, urged the Attorney General to co-operate with the UN investigation. On 7 October 2002, the EU Presidency gave the Attorney General a copy of the letter from the UN Special Representative to East Timor requesting Indonesian co-operation in the investigation.

Iraq

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action has been taken on UN Resolution 57/232 on human rights and Iraq.

Mike O'Brien: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Selly Oak (Lynne Jones) today (UIN 100931).

Iraq

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government are taking in support of the implementation of UN General Assembly Resolution 57/232 of December 2002.

Mike O'Brien: The UK helped to draft and sponsored this resolution, which condemns the appalling human rights situation in Iraq. Together with international partners, we take every opportunity to raise the human rights situation in Iraq. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's report on Iraq's human rights violations, published on 2 December 2002, exposes the sheer brutality of the Iraqi regime.
	We also take practical measures to protect those suffering repression. We take part in patrols of the northern and southern No Fly Zones. These were established in support of UN Security Council Resolution 688 to prevent Saddam Hussein from once again repressing the people in those regions.

Israel

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions his Department has had with the Israeli government on (a) the imprisonment of citizens for refusal to serve in the occupied territories and (b) Palestinians held in custody without charge.

Mike O'Brien: We regularly raise with the Israeli authorities our concerns about their holding Palestinians in custody without charge. Israel, like all states, has the right to defend itself against terrorism, but it must act within international law.
	We have not lobbied Israel about Israeli citizens imprisoned for refusing to serve in the Occupied Territories.

Israel

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations his Department has made to the Israeli Government on compensation of the UN for the destruction of food aid supplies on 30 November 2002.

Mike O'Brien: We deplore the destruction of a World Food Programme storage facility in Gaza on 2 December 2002 by the Israel Defence Forces. Food aid, including EU-funded contributions, was destroyed. The EU has raised its concerns with the Israeli Government about the destruction of infrastructure and goods funded by the EU and wider international community in the Occupied Territories, and has discussed the issue of compensation to the World Food Programme for the destruction of the Gaza warehouse. The European Commission is responsible for monitoring and costing damage to EU-funded aid projects, and the EU reserves the right to seek compensation.

Myanmar

Candy Atherton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations have been made to the Government of Myanmar regarding (a) human rights violations and (b) the use of forced child labour.

Mike O'Brien: In November 2002, the UK co-sponsored a resolution at the United Nations General Assembly condemning the human rights situation in Burma, including the use of forced labour there. I issued a press statement strongly supporting the resolution. With EU colleagues, we are currently drafting a resolution on human rights in Burma for presentation at the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. We will also be taking action at the March 2003 meeting of the International Labour Organisation to make clear our concern that forced labour in Burma remains widespread and systemic.

Small Arms

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance the Government is providing to countries in Eastern Europe and the Balkans to (a) address the proliferation of small arms in their regions, (b) reduce their availability and (c) strengthen controls on their transfer.

Mike O'Brien: The UK's Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) strategy, jointly funded by FCO, DFID and MOD, supports a range of initiatives tackling both the supply and demand for small arms. From the £20 million allocated to SALW under the Global Conflict Prevention Pool in 2001–04, £7.5 million has been allocated to United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to provide advice, support and technical assistance for global weapons collection, management and destruction programme. This work includes projects in Albania and Kosovo, where UNDP has organised public destruction of weapons, awareness raising, voluntary surrender of arms in return for development projects and training for law enforcement and security officials. It also covers UNDP support for the South Eastern Europe Clearing House for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SEESAC), which is working towards the implementation of a regional Stability Pact Implementation Plan to combat the proliferation of SALW and related munitions.
	Since the start of 2001, inter-departmental UK Government teams have in addition visited Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria and Serbia and Montenegro to exchange information on and offer advice with export control policy and procedures.
	In addition, HMG funds work by the NGO Saferworld with governments and civil society to combat small arms proliferation in Central and Eastern Europe and the Balkans, and the work of the Small Arms Survey which publishes a yearbook on global small arms issues that includes Eastern Europe and the Balkans.

Small Arms

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what preparations his Department is making for the July 2003 Biennial Meeting on national, regional and global implementation of the UN Programme of Action on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons.

Mike O'Brien: We are committed to a successful and productive first Biennial Meeting on the implementation of the Programme of Action (PoA) of the 2001 United Nations Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in all its respects. The formal meeting in July is limited to looking at work that has been undertaken in the last two years in implementation of the PoA. It is not a negotiating meeting. The UK has an excellent track record in initiatives to curb the proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW), and we will be preparing a report that details its active work, including its use of the £20 million we have committed (2001–04) to this work.
	But we will also be taking advantage of the Biennial Meeting to take forward the work we started at Lancaster House on strengthening export controls on small arms on 14 to 15 January 2003. The Conference itself is a major part of the UK's preparation for the meeting, and we will widen that contribution to include states that did not attend. We are currently preparing the ground for that work.

Brazil

Candy Atherton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Brazil regarding the disappearance of street children.

Bill Rammell: We maintain an on-going dialogue with Brazil on human rights issues covering both the international and domestic dimension. Our embassy in Brasilia are in regular touch with relevant Brazilian institutions on a range of human rights concerns, including allegations of abuses against the most vulnerable groups in Brazil such as women, the indigenous and street children. We attach particular importance to work with the Brazilian Police Service and Prison Service where there remain a number of important human rights concerns to be addressed.
	I look forward to taking these discussions forward when I next visit Brazil in May 2003.

Turkey

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions have been held with his Turkish counterpart concerning the decision of the Turkish parliament on their Government's request to allow UN troops to use Turkey as a place from which to attack Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

Denis MacShane: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has not discussed the decision of the Turkish Parliament on the deployment to Turkey of foreign troops with his Turkish counterpart.

West Papua

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to the Government of Indonesia on human rights abuses in West Papua; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: Shortly after the murder of Papuan leader, Theys Eluay, in November 2001, a representative of the British embassy in Jakarta met the Coordinating Minister for Security and Political Affairs and the Minister for the Development of Eastern Indonesia to raise our concern and disappointment, and to call for a thorough investigation. The EU issued a statement expressing its concern at Theys Eluay's murder. The UK also took part in an EU mission to Papua in March 2002 to examine the issue of human rights, and met Indonesian Government officials in Papua to voice our concerns. British embassy staff regularly visit Papua and raise the issue of human rights with Indonesian Government representatives there.

NORTHERN IRELAND

BBC (Ulster-Scots)

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the Linguistic Diversity Branch of the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure has offered guidance to the BBC in Northern Ireland on how, as a public service broadcaster, it might meet the obligations of the Council of Europe Charter for Regional and Minority Languages in relation to the Ulster-Scots language.

Angela Smith: The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages does not place specific obligations on public service broadcasters in relation to the Ulster-Scots language. Linguistic Diversity Branch has however engaged with the BBC in meetings at both production and managerial level aimed at encouraging increased awareness of the Ulster-Scots language and culture and UK Government commitments in relation to linguistic diversity.

Building Regulations

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when Part R of the Northern Ireland Building Regulations will be revised.

Ian Pearson: In line with normal practice, work on the revision of Part R of the Northern Ireland Building Regulations will commence when the amended Regulations in respect of access for disabled people are published in England and Wales.

Industrial and Provident Society Legislation

Mr. Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to reform Industrial and Provident Society legislation in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: As I advised in my replies to questions Nos. 86628 and 86630, I announced on 29 November details of a major review of Industrial and Provident Society law in Northern Ireland. It is timely to carry out such a review to ensure that legislation meets the needs of members and a modern Northern Ireland economy, and work has already commenced.

Post-primary Education

Roy Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Department of Education officials are involved in the Review of Post Primary Education; and how officials in the Department are progressing the issue of pupil profiles contained in the Review of Post-Primary Education in Northern Ireland.

Jane Kennedy: A team of 11 officials, including support staff, is taking forward the Review of Post-Primary Education. No decisions have been taken about pupil profiles. This is one of the issues for discussion in my round of meetings with political parties and in the meetings between Department of Education officials, the education sector and representatives of parents to discuss the next steps in the post-primary review.

Post-primary Education

Andrew Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if it is his policy to retain a system of selection in post-primary education; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: No decisions have been taken about selection in post-primary education. In the responses to consultation a range of suggestions were made for future post-primary arrangements, including options involving academic selection. I am currently meeting political parties and Department of Education officials have met with the education sector and will be meeting representatives of parents, to discuss these options and the next steps in the post-primary review.

Springvale Campus Project

Roy Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the Springvale Campus project Outline Business Case has satisfied the Treasury Taskforce Guidelines with respect to signing off criteria.

Jane Kennedy: In the preparation of the Outline Business Case (OBC) for the Main Campus of the Springvale project the University of Ulster determined that the project was not affordable or viable from its perspective. Consequently, no OBC was presented to the Department for Employment and Learning for assessment.

Stranmillis College

Roy Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to legislate to regularise the legal standing of Stranmillis College under devolution.

Jane Kennedy: The Department for Employment and Learning, in consultation with the Board of Governors, is currently considering whether to recommend any change to the legal status of Stranmillis University College.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Fuel Allowance

Howard Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost was of the fuel allowance in 2001–02.

Ian McCartney: Latest estimated figures for winter 2001/2 show that expenditure on Winter Fuel Payments was £1.7 billion.

Pension Fund Trustees

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what requirement is placed or is planned to be placed upon pension fund trustees who state that account is taken of the social, ethical and environmental issues to report to members on performance and outcome.

Ian McCartney: Section 35 of the Pensions Act 1995 requires trustees to produce a Statement of Investment Principles in which they are required to state the extent to which social, environmental or ethical considerations are taken into account. They are also required to produce an annual investment report.
	From March 2003, we are undertaking an evaluation of pension scheme trustees' investment decision-making in the light of the Myners report on institutional investment in the UK. Information on socially responsible investment will also be collected as part of this evaluation, and we will consider whether further measures are appropriate following that review.

Benefit Payments

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what guidance he has given to the Benefits Agency regarding the payment of benefits from April in cash from Post Offices.

Malcolm Wicks: I refer my hon. Friend to the written answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Stafford (Mr. Kidney) on 27 January 2003, Official Report, column 650W.

Benefit Payments

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he has taken to publicise the availability of Post Office card accounts to those who wish their benefits to be paid in cash at Post Offices; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: Customers will be supplied with information which clearly sets out their account options and enables them to freely choose the account which is right for them. This information will include details on accounts available at Post Office branches.

Health and Safety Executive

Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many investigations of (a) incidents and (b) complaints were carried out by local offices of the Health and Safety Executive in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Brown: holding answer 13 February 2003
	The following table shows the number of investigations of incidents and complaints carried out by HSE's operational directorates 1997–98 to 2001–02:
	
		
			  1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 
		
		
			 FOD  
			 Incidents 10,631 7,805 9,754 14,279 12,455 
			 Complaints 20,653 20,916 23,878 24,386 23,729 
			   
			 HID  
			 Incidents 747 808 793 773 1,090 
			 Complaints 538 471 411 489 473 
			   
			 RI  
			 Incidents 342 340 332 371 450 
			 Complaints 489 428 394 546 317 
			   
			 Total  
			 Incidents 11,720 8,953 10,879 15,423 13,995 
			 Complaints 21,680 21,815 24,683 25,421 24,519 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. 'Incidents' includes injuries, diseases, dangerous occurrences and gas safety incidents.
	2. FOD: Field Operations Directorate; HID: Hazardous Installations Directorate;
	RI: Railways Inspectorate.
	3. The data are not available for all HSE's offices for each year in the form requested. Even where data by office is available it could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	4. The figures do not include details of investigations of incidents at civil nuclear sites as these are not recorded centrally in an easily retrievable form. They could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Hospitality

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his Department's hospitality budget (a) is in 2002–03 and (b) was in each of the last three years; and how much was left unspent at the end of each financial year.

Ian McCartney: The Department does not allocate specific budgets for hospitality. For the Department's expenditure on hospitality I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws), on the 24 February 2003, Official Report, column 21–22W.

Hospitality

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what hospitality has been offered at public expense in the last 12 months, by each Minister in his Department to outside interest groups, broken down to (a) restaurant, (b) recipient and (c) cost in each case;
	(2)  what criteria Ministers in his Department use when determining whether to offer hospitality in restaurants to interest groups at public expense; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  how often Ministers in his Department have received hospitality in restaurants from outside groups.

Ian McCartney: All offers of hospitality are made in accordance with published departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, based on the principles set out in Government Accounting. The giving and receiving of hospitality is conducted fully in accordance with the guidance set out in the Ministerial Code, and Guidance on Contacts with Outside Interest Groups including Lobbyists. The detailed information requested is not held centrally, and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Maternity Pay

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his estimate is of the change in statutory maternity pay in real terms from 1995–96 to 2003–04 (planned); what his estimate is of the amount of this benefit received by each decile of the UK income distribution; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: Employers pay Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) to employees who meet the qualifying conditions. Currently it is paid for a total of 18 weeks; the first six weeks at a weekly rate equal to 90 per cent. of the woman's average weekly earnings and the remaining 12 weeks at £75.00. For women expecting babies on or after 6 April 2003, the payment period will be extended to 26 weeks. In addition from 6 April 2003, the weekly rate for all women (payable after the first six weeks) will be increased to £100, unless this is more than 90 per cent. of her average weekly earnings, in which case payment continues at the 90 per cent. rate.
	The available information is in the table.
	
		Benefit expenditure: Statutory Maternity Pay (GB) 1995–96 to 2003–04
		
			  £ million, 2002–03 prices 
		
		
			 Outturn  
			 1995–96 628 
			 1996–97 (7)396 
			 1997–98 565 
			 1998–99 606 
			 1999–2000 617 
			 2000–01 664 
			   
			 Estimated outturn  
			 2001–02 673 
			   
			 Planned  
			 2002–03 697 
			 2003–04 946 
		
	
	(7) This figure includes a re-statement, by the Government Actuary, of estimated recoveries over preceding years.
	Notes:
	1. Reliable estimates of benefit received by decile of income distribution are not available.
	2. On average employers are compensated for 93 per cent. of SMP paid to employees. The table does not include the amount for which employers are not compensated.
	Source:
	Benefit expenditure tables, pre-Budget report 2002.

Minimum Income Guarantee

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his latest estimate is of the cost of minimum income guarantee in the last three years.

Ian McCartney: The information is shown in the table below:
	
		£ million
		
			  Cash terms Real terms (2002–03) 
		
		
			 2000–01 outturn 4,095 4,288 
			 2001–02 estimated outturn(8) 4,486 4,598 
			 2002–03 plans 4,470 4,470 
		
	
	(8) Exenditure for 2001–02 reflects the latest estimate of out turn for the year and not the amounts voted by Parliament.
	Notes:
	All estimates are consistent with the PBR2002 forecasts

Pension Forecasts

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have requested a pension forecast more than six months before reaching pensionable age, in each of the last five years for which records are available.

Ian McCartney: A customer can obtain a pension forecast until they are within four months of State pension retirement age. The only figures we have available are people who have applied for forecasts who are more than four months from state pension retirement age, rather than six months.
	
		Number of forecasts sent to customers per year
		
			 Financial year Number of forecasts produced 
		
		
			 1997–98 570,522 
			 1998–99 537,198 
			 1999–2000 557,976 
			 2000–01 622,104 
			 2001–02 620,794 
		
	
	RPFT have also produced 579,273 forecasts this financial year up to, and including 31 January 2003.

Pensioners

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his latest estimate is of (a) take-up and (b) administrative cost of Minimum Income Guarantee of pensioners in the last three years.

Ian McCartney: The latest available estimate of take-up of Minimum Income Guarantee relates to financial year 1999–2000 and is presented in the DWP report "Income Related Benefits Estimates of Take-up in 1999–2000". A copy of the publication is available in the Library. The next edition of the report containing statistics for 2000–2001 will be released on 27 March 2003.
	Information about the administrative cost of the minimum income guarantee is not currently available in the format requested. The Department now accounts for its administration and benefit expenditure by Strategic Objective, as set out in its Public Service Agreements (PSA), and by individual Requests for Resources (RfRs), as set out in the Departmental Estimates and Accounts.

Pensions

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his answer of 13 February 2003, Official Report, column 967–68W, on pensions, what the median income is of each quintile of the income distribution for pensioners over 80.

Ian McCartney: The information requested is in the following table.
	The median net income of pensioner units aged 80 and above by quintile of the net income distribution, 2000–01.
	
		
			  Quintiles of the Income distribution 
			  Bottom fifth Next fifth Middle fifth Next fifth Top fifth Overall mean 
		
		
			 Net income before housing costs  
			 Pensioner couples 136 171 211 274 476 282 
			 Single pensioners 78 107 132 164 231 151 
			 Net income after housing costs  
			 Pensioner couples 123 150 184 261 464 262 
			 Single pensioners 61 85 104 132 198 127 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The estimates are from the Pensioners' Incomes Series 2000–01, which uses data from the Family Resources Survey 2000–01, and is the latest year for which results are available. The survey covers Great Britain and does not include people living in residential care or nursing homes.
	2. Incomes are in £ per week and are at 2000–01 prices.
	3. Estimates have been rounded to the nearest 1.
	4. Single pensioners are defined as single (non-cohabiting) people over state pension age (65 and over for men, 60 and over for women). Pensioner couples are defined as couples (married or cohabiting) where the man is over state pension age.
	5. Pensioner units are allocated to an age category according to the age of the head. The head of a couple is defined as the man.
	6. The distribution of income is based on unequivalised net income (unequivalised income refers to the actual cash amount directly received by pensioner units), and has been calculated separately under the before and after housing costs measures of income. The distribution of income has also been calculated separately for singles and couples, e.g. estimates for pensioner couples show income for each quintile of the pensioner couples' income distribution.
	7. As with data from any survey, these estimates should not be treated as exact as they are subject to sampling error. In particular, great care should be taken when comparing groups with similar incomes since random sampling fluctuations mean that estimates should be regarded as a broad indication of trends only.

Second Pensions

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for City of York (Hugh Bayley) of 9 January 2003, Official Report, column 362W, on second pensions, if he will place in the Library the research that shows combined pension forecasts have the potential to encourage many people to save more.

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his answer of 13 January 2003, to the hon. Member for City of York (Hugh Bayley), Official Report, column 362W, on second pensions, if he will make a statement on the research on the impact of occupational pension forecasts; and if he will place a copy in the Library.

Ian McCartney: The combined pension forecasting service, an initiative jointly pursued by the Department for Work and Pensions and the pensions industry with the support of the Association of British Insurers and National Association of Pension Funds, was introduced following a series of pilot exercises with representatives from the private sector.
	During the pilot phase, almost 33,500 combined statements were issued. Individual detailed results demonstrating the impact of the combined statement and their potential to encourage people to save more for their retirement are commercially sensitive. We do not have the permission of all the participating companies to release all the data. It would, therefore, be inappropriate to publish this information. However, in total some 98 per cent. of those who received a forecast found it useful and 31 per cent. sought further information about increasing their pension provision.
	The Government are committed to ensuring that people of working age have the information they need to help them take personal responsibility and plan for their financial future.
	Currently the combined pensions forecast service is a voluntary one. Our proposals in the Green Paper "Simplicity, Security and Choice: working and saving for retirement", Cm 5677, would place a statutory requirement on employers and pension providers to issue combined pension forecasts which would ensure that the total potential audience enjoys the benefits of the service. We are consulting on this.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Approved Development Programme

John Horam: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many lecturers working in further education colleges have purchased homes with assistance from funds from the Housing Corporation's Approved Development Programme.

Tony McNulty: The home ownership schemes within the Housing Corporation's Approved Development Programme (ADP) give priority to social tenants and those on the housing waiting list. Depending on their circumstances, lecturers working in further education colleges may have benefited from ADP funding. Information is not held centrally on the number of lecturers that have benefited and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Business Bureaucracy

Tim Yeo: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the forms that his Department requires private sector businesses to complete and return.

Christopher Leslie: The list of all such forms as recorded centrally by the office of the Deputy Prime Minister is as follows:
	Business Entity Record (Debtor)
	Channel Tunnel Rail Link Appeal; Channel Tunnel Rail Link Act 1996, Schedule 6 Appeal to the Secretary of State
	CORE (Continuous survey of new RSL lettings)
	Details of Suppliers and Creditors
	ETF Project/Placement Environmental Output Information Form
	Housing and Planning Act 1986; Section 16 Tenant Empowerment Grants—Application for Development Grant
	Housing and Planning Act 1986; Section 16 Tenant Empowerment Grants—Application for Renewal of Development Grant
	Housing and Planning Act 1986; Section 16 Tenant Empowerment Grants—Application for Pre-Feasibility Grant
	Housing and Planning Act 1986; Section 16 Tenant Empowerment Grants—Application for Feasibility Grant
	Housing and Planning Act 1986; Section 16 Tenant Empowerment Grants—Quarterly Grant Claim Form; Pre-Feasibility/Feasibility and Options Study Grant
	Housing and Planning Act 1986; Section 16 Tenant Empowerment Grants—Quarterly Grant Claims for Development Grant
	Housing and Planning Act 1986; Section 16 Tenant Empowerment Grants—Application for Options Study Grant
	Neighbourhood Management (MM) Stage 2: Statement of Grant Expenditure
	P2 Return—monthly housebuilding data from the National House Building Council
	Post Office Fund for Urban Deprived Areas: Application form
	Regulatory and Statistical Return (RSR)
	Report of fire
	Survey of Mortgage Lenders (SML)

Energy Conservation

Dave Watts: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has for encouraging the use of double and triple glazed windows to improve energy conservation in (a) homes and (b) commercial buildings.

Christopher Leslie: Amendments to the building regulations that became effective in April 2002 included setting window energy performance standards for all buildings that in most cases can only be met by triple glazing and the better types of double glazing. They also included application to replacement windows as well as to new construction. The Energy White Paper indicates our intention of aiming to bring into effect a further major revision in 2005.

Fire Services

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what is the minimum number of fire fighters recommended to attend a domestic dwelling in order to meet the requirements of (a) breathing apparatus procedures, (b) safe working systems and (c) command and central procedures; and what records does his Department hold on the extent to which these criteria are met in each Brigade area.

Nick Raynsford: Current guidance recommends that a minimum of seven firefighters attend any incident requiring breathing apparatus to be worn in order to meet the requirements of breathing apparatus procedures. Guidance on incident command is set out in the Fire Service Manual, Volume 2 (Fire Service Operations: Incident Command), published by Her Majesty's Fire Service Inspectorate. Safe working systems are determined on an individual basis by a dynamic risk assessment carried out by the incident commander, and command and control procedures vary according to the size and complexity of each incident. As incidents are assessed on an individual basis under the dynamic risk assessment process, no records are held on the number of firefighters attending different incidents.

Fire Services

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment has been made of the additional (a) resources and (b) personnel each fire brigade would require as a result of the Save Life methodology set out in the Review of Standards Emergency Cover; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Raynsford: I assume that my hon. Friend is referring to the Fire Service Emergency Cover Methodology, which was developed by the Task Group on the Fire Cover Review.
	That methodology was used by the Task Group to predict resources and personnel requirements for the brigades in the Pathfinder trials and, by extrapolation, nationally. Two alternative ways of allocating firefighting resources to cover risk were modelled; one by the Task Group and one later by the Fire Research Division of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. Both sets of findings were reported on the website of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister at the end of last year 1 .
	However, the early research encountered a number of teething problems. These led the Task Group to reject the detailed calculations from the model it had used which is also regarded as being more indicative than precise. Further research is currently under way to resolve these issues.
	1 www.safety.odpm.gov.uk/fire/fepd/fcr/fcrhome.htm

Housing Transfers

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  how council tenants and council leaseholders will be able to receive independent advice on the implications of the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999 for the consultation procedures involved in housing stock transfer;
	(2)  what advice he has given to local authorities and housing associations on the implications of the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999 for the housing stock transfer process.

Tony McNulty: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Lewisham, East (Ms Prentice) on 24 February 2003, Official Report, column 265W.

Light Rail Links

Paul Goodman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans the Government Office for the South East has to facilitate a light rail link between High Wycombe and Bourne End.

David Jamieson: I have been asked to reply.
	It is for Buckinghamshire county council as the local transport authority to decide whether to develop proposals for a light rail line between High Wycombe and Bourne End. Officials from my Department and from the Government Office for the South East regularly provide advice to local authorities wishing to develop public transport schemes.

Local Government Grant Settlement

Harry Cohen: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the six per cent. real terms increase in the local government grant settlement equates to in cash terms; how much has been distributed to local authorities in cash terms under the settlement; and if he will make a statement on the purposes for which the difference between the two sums will be used.

Nick Raynsford: The local government finance settlement for 2003–04 distributed £43,894 million of formula grant, made up of revenue support grant, redistributed business rates, and police grant. That is £2,449 million or 5.9 per cent. more in cash terms than was distributed in 2002–03. It is for local authorities to decide how they spend this increased grant. On top of that, there will be increases in specific and special grant, bringing the overall increase over 2002–03 to £3,819 million or eight per cent. in cash terms. Some of these grants are ring-fenced to particular purposes.

Parish Councillors

Nick Gibb: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many parish councillors have declined to sign the model code of conduct since November 2001.

Christopher Leslie: The Standards Board and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister have been directly informed of 95 resignations by parish councillors unwilling to accept the code of conduct, out of an estimated total of some 70,000 parish councillors. There is no requirement for local authority members to inform the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister of resignations, for whatever reason.

Parish Councillors

Nick Gibb: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what right of appeal parish councillors have if suspended from their duties by an adjudication panel.

Christopher Leslie: Where a case tribunal of the adjudication panel decides that a parish councillor has failed to comply with the code of conduct, that councillor may appeal to the High Court.

Residential Care (Funding)

David Drew: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what account is taken in the Supporting People budget for re-allocation of funding between those local authorities who choose to place residents in other local authorities for the purposes of residential care.

Tony McNulty: Supporting People funding is paid to the authority that is actually contracting to provide Supporting People services in its area, irrespective of Social Services arrangements concerning 'usual' residency.

Starter Homes Initiative

John Horam: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when the next round of the Starter Homes Initiative will begin.

Tony McNulty: The Starter Homes Initiative runs until 2004. From 2004–05, funding for the provision of key worker housing for rent and home ownership will be integrated into the Housing Corporation's main affordable housing programme. Funding will be allocated for this in the light of advice from Regional Housing Boards. The Housing Corporation expects to invite bids for key worker housing schemes at the same time as bids for other affordable housing schemes, around September 2003.

Sustainable Communities Plan

Norman Baker: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether an environmental appraisal has been undertaken for the Sustainable Communities Plan.

Tony McNulty: No overall Environmental Impact Assessment was carried out for "Sustainable Communities: Building for the Future", as this document covers a number of areas and delivery agendas. However, Environmental Impact Assessments will be carried out for the individual elements where appropriate, at a suitable point in the delivery process.

HEALTH

"Getting Ahead of the Curve"

Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether a formal assessment was made of the resource neutrality of organisational changes set out in "Getting Ahead of the Curve".

Hazel Blears: "Getting Ahead of the Curve" stated that the proposed changes would be cost neutral in terms of public expenditure—that is, the ongoing costs of the Health Protection Agency (HPA) would be met from the funding already made available to the Department of Health—and in particular to those entities transferring to the HPA—via the spending review 2002. It was recognised in the consultation document, published in June 2002, that there might be some short-term transitional costs in establishing the HPA, which would also be met from within existing resources.

"Primary Care" Magazine

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost of (a) producing and (b) distributing Primary Care magazine is; and how many copies have been circulated of each issue in the last 12 months.

David Lammy: NHS Magazine now has two editions, each issued 10 times a year. NHS Magazine is distributed to around 27,000 senior staff in acute and secondary health care teams. Primary Care Magazine is distributed to around 31,000 staff in primary health care teams.
	Production and distribution costs can be different for different issues, depending on content, advertising revenue and whether any specific staff groups are being sent material of specific interest. Costs for each issue are reduced by income from advertising.
	The normal average costs of production and distribution are shown in table 1. The number of copies of each issue circulated in the last 12 months is shown in table 2.
	
		Table 1 -- £
		
			  NHS Magazine Primary Care Magazine 
		
		
			 Production 50,386 32,876 
			 Distribution 12,500 13,500 
			 Total (gross) 62,386 46,376 
			 Income from advertising 7,900 7,900 
			 Total (net) 54,486 38,476 
		
	
	
		Table 2
		
			 Month NHS Magazine Primary Care Magazine 
		
		
			 February 2002 35,892 26,166 
			 March 2002 35,745 26,080 
			 April 2002 30,836 30,919 
			 May 2002 29,092 31,387 
			 June 2002 26,919 31,921 
			 July 2002 26,826 31,926 
			 August 2002 n/a n/a 
			 September 2002 27,266 32,364 
			 October 2002 27,199 32,319 
			 November2002 27,108 32,243 
			 December 2002 27,173 32,177 
			 January 2003 n/a n/a 
			 February 2003 (9)34,485 (9)35,366 
		
	
	(9) Includes bulk copies distributed to workforce development confederations; this issue contained a personal development supplement.

Age Diversity in Employment

Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when his Department completed its diagnostic review for compliance with the Government's Code of Practice for Age Diversity in Employment; and what changes his Department plans to make following the review.

David Lammy: The Department took steps to embed the provisions of the Government's code of practice on age diversity in employment when it integrated age into its equal opportunity policies in accordance with the performance and innovation unit's "Winning the Generation Game" report. The Department is fully committed to ensuring that older people are never unfairly discriminated against.
	A diagnostic review of progress was completed in February 2003. A number of recommendations are currently being discussed with the Department's trade unions.

Alcohol Strategy

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the responses from the consultation on the National Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy.

Hazel Blears: The Cabinet Office Strategy Unit and the Department of Health carried out a joint consultation on the National Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy. The consultation ran from 15 October 2002 to 15 January 2003 and the results will be published shortly on both the Strategy Unit and the Department of Health websites.

Aspartame

Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the Government will issue health warnings about the use of aspartame in food.

Hazel Blears: I am advised by the Food Standards Agency that they have no plans to issue health warnings about the use of aspartame in food.

Aspartame

Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent review has been undertaken of the safety of aspartame.

Hazel Blears: I am advised by the Food Standards Agency that the European Commission's Scientific Committee on Food published its updated opinion on aspartame on 10 December 2002. Following a review of all the data available to date, the Committee reiterated its previous advice that aspartame is safe for use. The Committee also concluded that there is no need to revise the previously established acceptable daily intake calculation for aspartame of 40 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day.

Asylum Seekers

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the cost to the NHS in each of the last five years of asylum seekers (a) in Greater London and (b) in England.

Hazel Blears: National Health Service funding is allocated direct to 303 primary care trusts to secure health services for the local population, including asylum seekers. There are no separate records of services provided to asylum seekers.

Bush Meat

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the health risks posed by the illegal importation of bush meat into the UK.

Hazel Blears: The Food Standards Agency (FSA), which has responsibility for food safety matters, advises me that a public health risk assessment has not been made in respect of illegal import of bush meat into the United Kingdom. The FSA has advised local authorities, which are responsible for enforcement of imported food and food safety legislation, that all illegally imported food products, including bush meat, should be removed from the human food chain. As illegal imports, these products have evaded official controls, either in the country of origin, or at the port of entry, designed to verify compliance with food safety standards, and as such, cannot be legally valid in the UK. The FSA is also working closely with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Her Majesty's Customs and Excise to assist in the targeting of enforcement work to detect illegal imports.

Bush Meat

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research he has conducted into whether there have been outbreaks of diseases in the UK that can be traced back to have resulted from the illegal importation of bush meat from Africa.

Hazel Blears: The United Kingdom public health bodies involved in the investigation of outbreaks of infectious intestinal disease have not traced any outbreaks of human disease in the UK to the illegal importation of bush meat. Studies of the routes of transmission of a range of food-borne bacteria have not shown bush meat consumption to be a vehicle of infection.

Child Care

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much remuneration an NHS child care co-ordinator will receive.

John Hutton: The remuneration of national health service child care co-ordinators is a matter for local determination. Guidance issued by the Department of Health in 2001 recommended a starting salary in line with General Whitley Council pay scales for administrative and clerical staff (Grade 6/7, Spring Point 24–32). In 2002–03, this equates to £19,592 to £27,887 per annum.

Clinical Negligence

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to make an announcement on the actions of the Chief Medical Officer's review of clinical negligence compensation.

David Lammy: I know that the outcome of the Chief Medical Officer's review of clinical negligence is eagerly awaited. Professor Sir Liam Donaldson has reviewed a wide range of options to tackle the complex issues involved in improving the present system for handling clinical negligence claims; these are under consideration by Ministers. We hope to publish our proposals for reform soon.

Coronary Disease

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance has been issued to PCTs about prescribing drug eluting stents for the management of coronary heart disease; and what assessment he has made of the benefits of drug eluting stents for the management of coronary heart disease.

Hazel Blears: Primary care trusts, as local commissioners of services, decide in consultation with local acute trusts and clinicians what services and treatment to provide for their local population. Drug eluting stents were referred to the National Institute for Clinical Excellence on 20 May 2002 for technology appraisal. Guidance on this device and its deployment is expected to be published in August this year. During this interim period, the national health service has standing guidance that it should make local decisions about whether to fund a particular intervention on the basis of the available published information.

Diabetes

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps are being taken to ensure diabetic patients receive retinopathy screening through the national health service.

David Lammy: A systematic retinopathy screening programme was one of two specific national targets published as part of the diabetes national service framework delivery strategy on 9 January 2003. It states that, by 2006, a minimum of 80 per cent. of people with diabetes are to be offered screening for the early detection and treatment, if needed, of diabetic retinopathy as part of a systematic programme that meets national standards, rising to 100 per cent. coverage of those at risk of retinopathy by the end of 2007.
	A copy of the diabetes national service framework delivery strategy has been placed in the Library.

Electronic Patient Records

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which NHS trusts in England have introduced electronic patient records.

David Lammy: These are Chelsea and Westminster national health service trust, Wirral hospital NHS trust, Burton hospitals NHS trust, north Hampshire NHS trust and the Royal Cornwall hospitals NHS trust.

Food Procurement

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's policy is on the procurement of food that is (a) local and (b) British.

David Lammy: The Department, including its agencies, does not procure food directly but uses tendered catering services.
	The Department's policy with all procurements is to obtain value for money through competitive tendering ensuring fair and open competition. Existing procedures already allow consideration of a wide range of criteria in the evaluation of tenders within the framework of the Government's value for money policies and the European Community procurement rules.
	It is the policy of our main catering contractor to endeavour to purchase from United Kingdom sources when practicable.

Foundation Hospitals

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the hospital trusts which have indicated an interest in foundation status.

John Hutton: Preliminary applications for national health service foundation trust status have been received from the following 32 NHS trusts:
	Addenbrooke's NHS Trust
	Aintree Hospitals NHS Trust
	Basildon and Thurrock General Hospitals NHS Trust
	Bradford Hospitals NHS Trust
	Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust
	City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Trust
	Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Trust
	Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Trust
	East Cheshire NHS Trust
	Essex Rivers Healthcare NHS Trust
	Frimley Park Hospital NHS Trust
	Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Trust
	Guy's and St. Thomas' Hospital NHS Trust
	Homerton University Hospital NHS Trust
	King's College Hospital NHS Trust
	Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Trust
	Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust
	North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust
	Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre NHS Trust
	Papworth Hospital NHS Trust
	Peterborough Hospitals NHS Trust
	Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Trust
	Rotherham General Hospitals NHS Trust
	Royal Devon and Exeter Health Care NHS Trust
	Royal Marsden NHS Trust
	Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases NHS Trust
	Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
	Southern Derbyshire Acute Hospital Services NHS Trust
	Stockport NHS Trust
	University College London Hospitals NHS Trust
	University Hospital Birmingham NHS Trust
	Walsall Hospitals NHS Trust

General Practitioners (Shropshire)

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patient appointments were seen by general practitioners in each year since 1997 in Shropshire.

David Lammy: The information is not collected either centrally or locally.

General Practitioners

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioners there are per 100,000 people in (a) England and (b) each health authority.

John Hutton: The most recent information available on the ratio of general practitioners to population is for 2001. This is shown in the table.
	
		
			 Strategic health authority name All practitioners(10) per 100,000 population 
		
		
			 England 64.7 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside 65.9 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley 62.1 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire 63.0 
			 Greater Manchester 61.3 
			 North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire 66.6 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear 66.8 
			 South Yorkshire 64.4 
			 West Yorkshire 67.6 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire 62.8 
			 Birmingham and the Black Country 63.1 
			 Coventry, Warwickshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire 64.8 
			 Essex 53.5 
			 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland 58.7 
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire 66.6 
			 Shropshire and Staffordshire 57.3 
			 Trent 61.5 
			 North Central London 69.4 
			 North East London 60.6 
			 North West London 68.7 
			 South East London 62.3 
			 South West London 64.5 
			 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire 72.1 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight 66.0 
			 Kent and Medway 59.7 
			 Dorset and Somerset 76.2 
			 South West Peninsula 76.7 
			 Surrey and Sussex 65.1 
			 Thames Valley 66.7 
		
	
	(10) All practitioners includes: UPEs, restricted principals, assistants, GP registrars, GP retainers, salaried doctors (para 52 SFA) and PMS others.
	Note:
	Population rates based on 2001 resident estimates.
	Source:
	Department of Health General and Personal Medical Services Statistics.
	ONS 2001 Population Census.

Haemophilia

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the statement of 12 February 2003, Official Report, column 51WS, on Haemophilia (Recombined Clotting Factors), how much will be allocated to (a) Chesham and Amersham and (b) Buckinghamshire.

Hazel Blears: Over the coming months we will be working with key stakeholders including the Haemophilia Society, clinicians, primary care trusts (PCTs) and others to put in place a strategy to implement the availability of recombinant clotting factors. The amounts to be allocated to each PCT will be determined once a strategy is agreed.

Haemophilia

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to monitor the use of the allocation of money to NHS haemophilia treatment centres in England for treating patients with genetically engineered recombinant instead of products made from human blood; when the first patients will receive the new treatment; how long it will take for all patients to be offered it; how much funding will be allocated in the first year; for how many years the funding will last; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: Haemophilia patients up to the age of 21 are already receiving recombinant clotting factors. The £88 million will begin the process of extending these products to the remaining haemophilia patients aged over 21. The extra funding has been allocated over three years—£13 million in 2003–04, £21.7 million in 2004–05 and £53.4 million in 2005–06.
	The Government's aim is that by March 2006 the vast majority of haemophilia patients should be receiving recombinant clotting factors. The Government will work with key stakeholders including the Haemophilia Society, the United Kingdom Haemophilia Centre Doctors Organisation, primary care trusts and others to put in place a strategy to roll out access to these products. This will include plans to monitor the implementation of this strategy. We aim to begin the roll out as soon as possible in the next financial year.

Care Homes (Yorkshire)

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received concerning the shortage of nursing and residential care home places in York and North Yorkshire.

Jacqui Smith: I have had a number of representations regarding the situation in York and North Yorkshire.
	York has been given a Building Care Capacity Grant of £658,000 for 2002–03 while North Yorkshire has been given £754,000. The councils have largely spent this on stabilising the local care home market.

Health Grants

Patrick McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the grants funded by his Department for health (a) protection and (b) promotion for which individual members of the public and organisations may apply; how much such funding was made in the last financial year; how many awards were made; and what their administrative costs were.

David Lammy: The Department makes grants to individuals and organisations, but the information is not held centrally.
	The administration of grants is carried over by a number of different units within the Department to which a wide range of staff make a contribution. It is not possible to provide an accurate estimate of these costs.

Health Service Finance (Worcestershire)

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the deficit was of (a) the South Worcestershire Primary Care Trust, (b) the Wyre Forest Primary Care Trust, (c) the Bromsgrove and Redditch Primary Care Trust, (d) the Worcestershire Mental Health Trust, (e) the Hereford and Worcester Ambulance Trust and (f) the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust at the beginning of the current financial year; and what his most recent estimate is of the deficit of each of the Trusts by the end of the financial year.

David Lammy: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Beginningyear deficit£ million Current forecast deficit £ million 
		
		
			 South Worcester PCT 0(1.3) 5.05 
			 Wyre Forest PCT 0 (0.2) 0.85 
			 Redditch & Bromsgrove PCT 0 (0.7) 2.40 
			 Worcester Mental Health Trust 0 0.00 
			 Hereford & Worcester Ambulance 0 0.00 
			 Worcester Acute 0 7.30 
		
	
	Each primary care trust (PCT) was a new organisation as of 1 April 2003 and hence had no brought forward deficit. However, the figures in parentheses represent the subsequent allocation of the deficit incurred by Worcestershire Health Authority, their predecessor organisation.
	Source:West Midlands South Strategic Health Authority

Health Services (Children)

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many paediatric intensive care nurses have been employed in the NHS in each of the last six years, expressed as whole time equivalent posts.

John Hutton: Information on the number of paediatric intensive care nurses employed in the national health service is not collected centrally. Paediatric intensive care nurses are included in the total for paediatric nurses. The number of paediatric nurses employed in the NHS is shown in the table.
	
		NHS Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS): Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff employed in the paediatric area of work in England as at 30 September each year
		
			  Whole-time equivalents Headcount 
		
		
			 1996 12,590 15,520 
			 1997 12,590 15,340 
			 1998 13,080 16,270 
			 1999 13,380 16,690 
			 2000 13,640 16,920 
			 2001 14,000 17,640 
		
	
	Notes
	Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
	Figures exclude agency staff.
	Source
	Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Census.
	The number of whole-time equivalent paediatric nurses employed in the NHS has increased by 1,410, or 11 per cent., between September 1996 and 2001.

Health Services (Children)

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will ask the National Institute for Clinical Excellence to appraise the evidence relating to treating infant medical health problems.

Jacqui Smith: It is the role of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence to provide patients, health professionals and the public with authoritative, robust and reliable guidance on both individual health technologies, including medicines, medical devices, diagnostic techniques, and procedures and the clinical management of specific conditions—some of these relating specifically to treating infant medical health problems.

Hospital Food

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will publish figures for 2003 on the six key targets of the Better Hospital Food Programme.

David Lammy: Details of the number of hospitals meeting the key targets will be announced in due course.

Hospital Food

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the second stage of the Better Hospital Food Programme consists of.

David Lammy: An announcement will be made at the Hospital Caterers Association Annual Conference on 24 April 2003.

Mental Health Acute Hospital (Northampton)

Tony Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the negotiations for public-private projects in regard to the Mental Health Acute Hospital in Northampton.

David Lammy: A new facility, with a capital value of £20 million, is to be procured via the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) in South Northamptonshire, including Daventry and South Northants Primary Care Trust and Northampton Primary Care Trust, to develop the provision of in-patient acute mental health care for the south of the county. 13 expressions of interest were received and evaluated to six who received the pre-invitation to negotiate (ITN).
	The pre-ITN responses were evaluated and three bidders were selected to receive the final ITN. The trust anticipates issuing the best and final offer instructions to the three remaining bidders in May 2003, based on the revised clinical model (similar bed numbers, different configuration) and provision of hard facilities management services only. This mirrors the trust's PFI re-provision for the north of the county where they are at preferred bidder stage, anticipating financial close in May-June 2003.

Ministerial Visits

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which hospitals have been visited by his ministerial colleagues in the Department since 1 January 2002.

David Lammy: Since 1 January 2002, Department of Health Ministers have visited 79 hospital sites. A number of these sites have been visited on more than one occasion, resulting in a total of 100 ministerial visits.
	A full list of hospitals visited has been placed in the Library.

Mixed Sex Wards

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 27 January 2003, Official Report, columns 679–80, on mixed sex wards, which NHS trusts in England have mixed-sex sleeping accommodation.

John Hutton: We have no plans to publish the names of the trusts which have or have not met the target.
	I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement I made on 14 January 2003, Official Report, column 23WS.

Motor Neurone Disease

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money the Government are investing in researching motor neurone disease in 2002–03; and if he will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the member for Reading, East (Jane Griffiths) on 4 February 2003, Official Report, columns 223–24W.

MRI Scans

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number and percentage of MRI scanners that are used for fewer than (a) five and (b) two days a week.

Hazel Blears: Data are not collected centrally by the Department about the number of days per week that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners are operational. However, an Audit Commission report on radiology, published in July 2002, showed that almost all MRI scanners in the national health service were operated for more than eight hours per day.
	A total of 705,706 MRI investigations were carried out at NHS hospitals in 2001–02 and a breakdown of this total by NHS trust is available in the following publication:
	Source:
	"Department of Health: Imaging & Radiodiagnostics, England, Financial Year 2001–2002. KH12 return".

MRI Scans

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many mobile MRI scanners there are (a) in the NHS and (b) in the private sector.

Hazel Blears: There is one mobile magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner that is owned by the national health service and this facility is shared between University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust and South Warwickshire General Hospitals NHS Trust. The MRI scanner on board the mobile was provided as part of the New Opportunities Fund living with cancer initiative.
	There are a further 28 mobile MRI scanners that are available for hire by NHS hospitals on a contractual basis. These are owned by private sector and charitable organisations and are also offered for hire to the non-NHS sector.

Myopic Degeneration

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the appraisal by NICE of the treatment available for myopic degeneration which is not age-related; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: There is currently no National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) appraisal of the treatment available for myopic degeneration. NICE is, however, carrying out an appraisal of Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) as a treatment for age related macular degeneration. It has not yet published any guidance to the National Health Service on this topic. NICE prepared its final appraisal determination on PDT and circulated it to consultees on 16 January. We understand this document has been appealed against. NICE will now consider any appeals before publishing its final guidance.

National Institute for Clinical Excellence

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether appraisal suggestions rejected by NICE for lack of evidence are considered by the Department of Health Research Programme for further research.

Hazel Blears: Yes.

Information Technology

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the report commissioned by the Department to assess the capacity of the supplier market in relation to the National Programme will be published.

Hazel Blears: The analysis and report to assess the capacity of the information technology supplier market in relation to supporting the national programme for IT in the national health service was commissioned by the Department as input to the ongoing procurement process for the programme. It was not intended for publication and its use is covered by the normal rules around safeguarding the privacy of commercially confidential and sensitive information.
	We must consider legal advice, the stage at which the formal procurement process is at and the requirement to ensure access to relevant information is made available to all potential suppliers. Assuming that all due requirements are met, a summary of the key findings will be covered in a presentation to be made at the healthcare computing conference in Harrogate on 25 March 2003. The key points will also be subsequently made available on the Department's website.

NHS Ambulance Trusts

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance exists for NHS ambulance trusts regarding (a) procurement, (b) servicing and (c) lifespans of NHS ambulance vehicles.

David Lammy: There are two types of ambulance procured by ambulance trusts: patient transport service ambulances and accident and emergency ambulances.
	Both types of vehicles can be procured either by outright purchase or by leasing, depending on the individual trust's preference.
	For the outright purchase of patient transport service ambulances, the National Health Service Purchasing and Supply Agency (PASA) has a national contract in place which is due to expire on 30 June 2003. A new contract will be put in place later this year. In the meantime, PASA will help trusts by giving advice and putting in place a procurement guide. This will offer guidance on how to tender effectively for ambulances.
	For the outright purchase of accident and emergency ambulances, PASA already offers assistance to trusts in the form of a procurement guide. PASA is at tender stage with a new national accident and emergency contract and hopes to have it in place by the summer.
	Trusts tender on their own behalf for the lease of both patient transport service and accident and emergency ambulances. However, for trusts who do not have knowledge of European Union tendering, PASA offers advice and assistance on putting together all tender documentation and associated paperwork.
	Once the new patient transport service and accident and emergency ambulance contracts are in place, PASA will introduce a new national leasing contract for both types of ambulance.
	The servicing of ambulances is normally carried out by trusts themselves or by a nominated dealer. Leased vehicles can have the servicing incorporated into the lease agreement, which can be carried out by the trust or a nominated dealer. There are presently no national contracts in place for the servicing of ambulance vehicles.
	The lifespan of patient transport service and accident and emergency vehicles is determined by individual trusts and is dependant on a number of factors, including operational demands and annual mileage.
	On average, the majority of patient transport service ambulances have a lifespan of seven years. Accident and emergency ambulances have an average lifespan of five years.

Nursing Agencies

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nursing agencies based overseas who provide agency nurses to the NHS subscribe to the NHS's Code of Practice in recruiting overseas nurses; and which countries these agencies are based in.

John Hutton: There are two nursing recruitment agencies that are based overseas that provide healthcare professionals to the national health service that subscribe to the code of practice for NHS employers.
	These agencies are based in Germany and the Republic of Ireland.

Organ Donor Register

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in the UK are not on the NHS organ donor register.

David Lammy: Currently, 10.2 million people, or 17.4 per cent., of the total United Kingdom population of 58.7 million, have registered on the national health service organ donor register.

Overseas Nurses

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions (a) his Department and (b) the Assistant Chief Nurse Officer have had about the recruitment of nurses from South Africa; what steps his Department is taking to ensure that no nurses from South Africa are actively recruited; what mechanisms he has in place with the South African Government to ensure that such a scheme is effective; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: holding answer 3 March 2003
	Actively recruiting from South Africa is against the code of practice for National Health Service employers involved in the international recruitment of healthcare professionals. Workforce development confederations are responsible for performance managing the trusts in their area to ensure compliance with the code of practice. This is being monitored through quarterly monitoring.
	Officials from the Department have met with South African officials to discuss co-operation on workforce, recruitment and other health related issues.
	The Department would investigate any alleged breach of the code of practice brought to its attention by the South African Government.

Overview and Scrutiny Committees

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many Overview and Scrutiny Committees have been set up since 1 January.

David Lammy: This information is not available. The Department will be monitoring the implementation of the powers to scrutinise health services as it rolls out across England.

Parliamentary Questions

Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will answer the parliamentary questions numbered (a) 79796, (b) 79800, (c) 79804, (d) 79805 and (e) 79806 tabled by the hon. Member for Oxford, West and Abingdon.

David Lammy: These questions were tabled towards the end of the last parliamentary Session. As the Session ended before the questions received replies, responses were sent to the hon. Member by letter, copies of which were also placed in the Library.

Prescription Charges

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what recent assessment he has made of the help available to medical students for meeting NHS prescription charges; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what plans he has to increase the support that the NHS Low Income Scheme gives to medical students; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: Young people under 16 and those under 19 who are in full time education are entitled to full help with health costs, including National Health Service prescription charges. Those aged 19 and over, including medical students, can apply for help with their health costs through the NHS low income scheme. The extent of any help is based on a comparison between the student's weekly income and requirements at the date the claim is received. We have no plans to change the current arrangements.
	Patients who need frequent prescriptions may benefit from purchasing a prescription prepayment certificate.

Primary Care Trusts (Directors)

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of applicants for the post of non-executive director of primary care trusts have declared themselves, on the application form, to be active in the (a) Conservative Party, (b) Liberal Democrat Party and (c) Labour Party; and what percentage of applicants were successful in each case.

David Lammy: Reliable information about applications made for non-executive posts to primary care trusts is not currently available. Application data held by the NHS Appointments Commission are currently being validated, and it is expected that they will be published in early April 2003.

Royal Shrewsbury Hospital

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the reasons for the Board of the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital not approving a new diabetes centre.

David Lammy: I understand that this matter, which is properly a matter for the Board of the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital National Health Service Trust, will be considered again at its next public meeting on 25 March 2003. Departmental officials have, however, brought this matter to the attention of the Shropshire and Staffordshire Strategic Health Authority, which will consider whether any further action should be taken after the Trust has deliberated.

Tobacco Products

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to make public information on the ingredients and additives in tobacco products, their purpose and their effects gathered under the Manufacture, Presentation and Sale of Tobacco Products Directive (2001/37/EC).

Hazel Blears: Regulations to transpose the Directive on the Manufacture, Presentation and Sale of Tobacco Products (2001/37/EC) require manufacturers and importers of tobacco products to submit a list of ingredients contained in their products to the Secretary of State by 28 February 2003. The Department is continuing to analyse this information before making it available to the public later this year.

Transplants

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) kidney, (b) liver, (c) heart and (d) lung transplants have taken place in each of the last 10 years.

David Lammy: The table shows data on kidney, liver, heart and lung transplants which have taken place in each of the last 10 years.
	
		Solid organ transplants in the United Kingdom, 1993–2002, by organ transplanted
		
			 Organ 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 Total 
		
		
			 Kidney 1,714 1,746 1,801 1,716 1,699 1,621 1,624 1,709 1,743 1,719 17,092 
			 Liver 534 620 669 639 671 667 692 671 684 712 6,559 
			 Heart 302 314 319 279 266 264 230 204 171 159 2,508 
			 Lung 95 116 112 116 103 88 110 98 93 112 1,043 
			 H/L 36 52 58 53 44 52 50 33 33 16 427 
			 Total 2,681 2,848 2,959 2,803 2,783 2,692 2,706 2,715 2,724 2,718 27,629 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Includes cadaveric and living donor transplants.
	2. Multi-organ transplants are counted for each organ type, e.g. a heart, lung and kidney transplant is counted as a kidney transplant and a heart/lung transplant.

Unnecessary Prescriptions

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment has been made of the extent to which general practitioners accept financial inducements from pharmaceutical companies to prescribe unnecessary drugs to patients without their consent; and what plans he has to introduce measures to prevent this practice.

David Lammy: Measures to prohibit the offer by pharmaceutical companies to general practitioners of financial or other inducements to prescribe medicines are contained in the Medicines (Advertising) Regulations 1994. Where medicines are being promoted, the Regulations prohibit the offer of any gift, pecuniary advantage or benefit in kind unless it is inexpensive and relevant to the practice of medicine. It is also an offence for a prescriber to solicit any prohibited inducement.
	Any complaint concerning the offer by pharmaceutical companies of an inducement to prescribe medicines is investigated by the Medicines Control Agency and as appropriate, the industry self-regulatory body, the Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority. Allegations of the acceptance of an inducement may also be referred to the General Medical Council.

Welfare Food Scheme

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received from the dairy industry about the proposed changes to the welfare food scheme.

Hazel Blears: A public consultation on the proposed reform of the Welfare Food Scheme was held between October and December 2002. Dairy industry interests accounted for 15 per cent, of the total 500 written responses. The Department of Health also held five meetings with dairy industry representatives during the consultation period.
	A report on the outcome of the consultation will be published later in March 2003.

TREASURY

Departmental Preferred Suppliers

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will allow Government Departments to place orders with preferred suppliers.

Paul Boateng: Each Department is responsible for its own procurements, within the framework of the Government's procurement policy and the EC procurement rules. This policy and EC framework requires procurements to be conducted in a transparent, non-discriminatory and competitive way, with each contract awarded to the tenderer offering best value for money for the particular requirement.

Government Procurement Policy

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on Government procurement policy.

Paul Boateng: The Government's procurement policy is that all public procurement of goods, works and services is to be based on value for money, having due regard to propriety and regularity. Value for money is the optimum combination of whole life cost and quality (or fitness for purpose) to meet the user's requirement.

Government Procurement Policy

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of weighting value for money against ethical and socially constructive approaches to business in the selection of suppliers for Government Departments.

Paul Boateng: Within the Government's procurement policy and the EC procurement rules, it is possible to take account of environmental, social and ethical factors where they are relevant to the subject of the contract and do not undermine value for money for the taxpayer. Relevant factors can be reflected in appropriate, non-discriminatory specifications and can feature, where appropriate, in whole life cost and quality award criteria.

Aquaculture

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will use his power of direction under the Crown Estate Act 1961 to reduce the rents paid by aquaculture industries for use of the seabed in the event of negotiations with EU partners in Brussels on 20 February 2003 failing to secure a continued protection against salmon dumping.

Helen Liddell: holding answer 24 February 2003
	I have been asked to reply.
	Neither my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer nor I have any plans to exercise the power in question.

Aviation Industry (Pollution)

Tom Brake: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with shareholders about the most effective economic instruments for (a) limiting and (b) reducing the aviation industry's contribution to (i) climate change, (ii) local air quality and (iii) noise pollution.

John Healey: The Chancellor announced in the 2002 Pre-Budget Report that the Government would discuss with stakeholders the most effective economic instruments for ensuring the aviation industry is encouraged to take account of, and where appropriate reduce, its contribution to global warming, local air and noise pollution. These discussions will be taking place shortly. The Government is also publishing a background document to facilitate the discussions. The Government will set out its views in the Air Transport White Paper which it intends to publish later this year.

Budget

Michael Howard: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will announce the date of the Budget

Gordon Brown: I announced yesterday that I plan to deliver the Budget Statement on Wednesday 9 April.

Computer Misuse

Howard Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 11 February 2003, Official Report, column 653W, on computer misuse, what assessment he has made of the level of computer misuse within the Inland Revenue.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Northavon (Mr. Webb) of 27 January 2003, Official Report, columns 605–06W.

Economic Output

Mark Prisk: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to increase output per head of population in the UK economy.

John Healey: The Government are committed to raising the rate of UK productivity growth over the economic cycle, improving competitiveness and narrowing the productivity gap with the US, France and Germany. The Government's approach to raising productivity is set out in "Productivity in the UK: The Evidence and the Government's Approach", which was published alongside the 2000 pre-Budget report.
	The Government report on steps to increase productivity in every Budget and pre-Budget report. Recent key steps include the Enterprise Act 2002, the introduction of R&D tax credits, the reduction of corporation tax rates, implementation of major reforms to capital gains tax, increased investment to raise standards in education, and a comprehensive review of capital markets through the Myners, Sandler and Higgs reviews.

Economic Output

Mark Prisk: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the output per head of population in the UK economy was in each year since 1975.

John Healey: Output per head of population in each year since 1975 can be found in National Statistics publication: "Economic Trends Annual Supplement, 2002 edition, table 1.5", a copy of which is in the Library.

Economic Output

Mark Prisk: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the output per head of population in the economy of each of the G7 countries was in each year since 1997.

John Healey: Output per head of population for the G7 can be found in the monthly OECD publication: "Main Economic Indicators" (p277), a copy of which is in the Library.

Government Contingent Liabilities

Howard Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the Government's contingent liabilities.

Paul Boateng: There are transparent arrangements in place for the reporting of contingent liabilities. These are in accordance with the principles underpinning the Government's fiscal framework, Contingent liabilities are already reported to Parliament, in line with the requirements of Government Accounting 2000 (Chapter 26), when they arise. They are also disclosed in Departments' resource accounts (under the requirements of FRS12) and have been drawn together in the annual Supplementary Statements to the Consolidated Fund and National Loans Fund Accounts.

Landfill Tax Credit Scheme

Mark Prisk: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment HM Treasury has made regarding reform of the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme; what research he has commissioned into the effectiveness of the scheme; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: The Government reviewed the role of the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme following consultation with stakeholders last summer. In addition, the Public Accounts Committee, the Environment, Transport and Regions Select Committee, and the National Audit Office have all published reports on the scheme. These have all concluded that evaluation of the scheme is difficult or impossible given the way in which it has been set up with no central collection of information on its outcomes. The select committee reports have criticised the effectiveness of the scheme and these comments were taken into account in the Government's decision to reform the scheme.
	The Government have been discussing with stakeholders the best ways of addressing the most serious criticisms in the operation of the successor tax credit scheme. Any plans for reform of the successor scheme will be set out on a Budget timetable.

Landfill Tax Credit Scheme

Stephen Ladyman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much has been contributed to environmental projects as a result of the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme.

John Healey: Contributions by landfill operators to environmental projects through the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme are published by ENTRUST in its Annual Reports, copies of which are being placed in the Library of the House.

National Asset Register

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether it is his policy that all buildings should be valued in the National Asset Register on the basis of (a) their existing use and (b) the maximum market value for alternative use; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Boateng: Assets in the National Asset Register are valued in accordance with the Resource Accounting Manual, which follows UK accounting standards for the valuation of assets. The Accounting Standards Board's Financial Reporting Standard 15 sets out how different types of asset should be valued.

National Insurance (Married Women)

Steve Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the yield of increasing the rate of national insurance contributions payable by married women by 1 per cent. of the reduced rate.

Dawn Primarolo: The estimated full-year yield from increasing the primary Class 1 contribution rate for reduced rate married women optants by one percentage point in 2003–04 is £5million. This estimate has been provided by the Government Actuary Department and is consistent with the November 2002 Pre-Budget Report.

Public Sector Net Investment Statistics

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what methodology is used to calculate monthly public sector net investment statistics; and if he will make a statement.

Ruth Kelly: The methodology used is set out in note four of the Background Notes to the monthly National Statistics First Release on the Public sector finances, issued jointly by the Office for National Statistics and HM Treasury.

Spending Review

Helen Clark: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a sustainable development appraisal of the Spending Review 2002.

Paul Boateng: Chapter 4 of the SR2002 White Paper set out how the Government had used the Spending Review process to promote their sustainable development objectives.
	On 24 February the Government published their annual report on sustainable development, setting out progress against 15 headline indicators. The report illustrates how the whole range of Government policies have contributed to delivering our sustainable development objectives. The report itself and relevant press releases can be found on www.sustainable-development.gov.uk.

Tax Credits

David Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what external evaluation has been made of the advertising for (a) the Working Families' Tax Credit and (b) the Children's Tax Credit; and if he will place the conclusions in the Library.

Dawn Primarolo: Like all Inland Revenue advertising, the campaigns to raise awareness and understanding of the Working Families' Tax Credit and the Children's Tax Credit were all monitored to assess their effectiveness. The monitoring was carried out by independent external agencies managed by COI Communications on behalf of the Inland Revenue. Such monitoring generally takes place at key stages in the development of a campaign. The findings are used to inform the design of subsequent campaigns—or stages of the same campaign—and are not prepared for publication.

Tax Credits

David Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the impact of the advertising campaign for the new tax credits will be externally evaluated.

Dawn Primarolo: All Inland Revenue advertising campaigns are monitored at key stages in their development to assess their effectiveness in raising awareness and understanding among their target audiences. Such monitoring is carried out by an independent external agency managed by COI Communications on behalf of the Inland Revenue. The findings are used to inform the design of subsequent campaigns. The publicity campaigns to promote awareness of the Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit will be subject to a similar cycle of monitoring.

Tax Returns

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many self assessment taxpayers have not submitted a tax return for financial year 2001–02; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: 9,246,131 SA tax returns for 2001–02 were issued up to 31 October 2002 and 8,371,251 received back by the January deadline. I gave these figures in a written statement on 25 February 2003, Official Report, column 12WS. 874,880 returns therefore remained outstanding at that date.

Windfall Tax

Martin Linton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the amounts from the Windfall Tax spent on (a) each of the New Deal programmes for helping people into work, (b) the New Deal for Schools and (c) other items of expenditure; and if he will estimate what proportion of the Windfall Tax remains unspent.

Paul Boateng: Information on the allocation of the Windfall Tax for each New Deal programme and other items of expenditure can be found on table 4.1 of the pre-Budget report published in November 2002. The amount of Windfall Tax allocated to the New Deal for Schools is included in Capital costs on table 4.1.
	Information on the allocation of the Windfall Tax will be updated in Budget 2003.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Animal Welfare

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many convictions there have been for animal cruelty in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many arrests there have been for animal cruelty in each of the last five years; and how many of them resulted in a prosecution.

Bob Ainsworth: The statistics collected centrally on arrests relate to notifiable offences only, so do not cover arrests for animal cruelty.
	Persons proceeded against and those found guilty for various offences connected with animal cruelty are shown in the table for England and Wales, 1997 to 2001.
	Statistics for 2002 will be available in the late autumn.
	
		Number of defendants(11) proceeded against at magistrates courts and convicted at all courts for offences relating to animal cruelty -- England and Wales 1997–2001 Number of defendants
		
			  1997 1998 1999 
			 Statute Defendants proceeded against Defendants convicted Defendants proceeded against Defendants convicted Defendants proceeded against Defendants convicted 
		
		
			 Protection of Animals Act, 1911 (as amended) 1,051 867 1,107 889 1,050 828 
			 Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981 Sec 8 8 8 2 2 1 1 
			 Performing Animals (Regulation) Act 1925 — — — — — — 
			 Protection of Animals Act, 1934 6 4 4 4 — — 
			 Docking and Nicking of Horses Act, 1949 — — — — 2 — 
			 Pet Animals Act, 1951 4 4 7 6 10 9 
			 Cockfighting Act, 1952 — — — — — — 
			 Protection of Animals (Amendment) Act, 1954 34 30 23 20 25 21 
			 Animal Health Act, 1981, Secs 40–42, 46 and 49 and Orders made under Secs 8, 9, 37, 38, 39 and 43 76 68 87 73 56 51 
			 Slaughterhouses Act, 1974 — — 3 3 4 4 
			 Abandonment of Animals Act, 1960, Sec 1 26 21 36 26 17 12 
			 Animal & Animal Products (Import & Export) Regulations 1988 — — — — — — 
			 Animals (Cruel Poisons) Act, 1962 1 1 1 — — — 
			 Animal Boarding Establishments Act, 1963 2 2 7 7 8 6 
			 Riding Establishments Acts, 1964 and 1970 1 — 1 1 — — 
			 Slaughter of Poultry Act, 1967 6 3 18 15 8 7 
			 Agriculture (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1968, Secs 1, 2 and 6 10 9 5 5 15 11 
			 Protection of Badgers Act, 1992 (except Sec 13) 44 25 19 4 30 10 
			 Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981 Sec 9 5 3 — — 3 — 
			 Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981 Sec 11 2 — 3 3 4 3 
			 Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996 7 3 8 7 — — 
			 Breeding of Dogs Acts 1973 and 1991 5 4 5 4 5 4 
			 Breeding and Sale of Dogs (Welfare) Act 1999 * * * * * * 
			 Diseases of Animals Act 97 81 103 80 72 53 
			 Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, Secs 1, 3, 5, 6, 7 and 17 84 63 68 42 157 118 
			 Total 1,469 1,196 1,507 1,191 1,467 1,138 
		
	
	
		England and Wales 1997–2001 Number of defendants
		
			  2000 2001 
			 Statute Defendants proceeded against Defendants convicted Defendants proceeded against Defendants convicted 
		
		
			 Protection of Animals Act, 1911 (as amended) 1,074 861 975 754 
			 Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981 Sec 8 6 4 3 3 
			 Performing Animals (Regulation) Act 1925 — — — — 
			 Protection of Animals Act, 1934 1 1 — — 
			 Docking and Nicking of Horses Act, 1949 2 2 — — 
			 Pet Animals Act, 1951 19 14 11 8 
			 Cockfighting Act, 1952 — — — — 
			 Protection of Animals (Amendment) Act, 1954 24 15 15 11 
			 Animal Health Act, 1981, Secs 40–42, 46 and 49 and Orders made under Secs 8, 9, 37, 38, 39 and 43 31 23 32 23 
			 Slaughterhouses Act, 1974 — — 1 — 
			 Abandonment of Animals Act, 1960, Sec 1 26 13 25 19 
			 Animal & Animal Products (Import & Export) Regulations 1988 4 — 1 — 
			 Animals (Cruel Poisons) Act, 1962 — — 1 1 
			 Animal Boarding Establishments Act, 1963 11 4 13 8 
			 Riding Establishments Acts, 1964 and 1970 3 2 1 1 
			 Slaughter of Poultry Act, 1967 — — — — 
			 Agriculture (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1968, Secs 1, 2 and 6 16 10 17 5 
			 Protection of Badgers Act, 1992 (except Sec 13) 21 4 9 5 
			 Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981 Sec 9 — — 4 3 
			 Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981 Sec 11 — — 2 — 
			 Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996 5 4 10 4 
			 Breeding of Dogs Acts 1973 and 1991 3 2 1 1 
			 Breeding and Sale of Dogs (Welfare) Act 1999 — — — — 
			 Diseases of Animals Act 26 22 201 154 
			 Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, Secs 1, 3, 5, 6, 7 and 17 96 80 67 46 
			 Total 1,368 1,061 1,389 1,046 
		
	
	* = Not applicable.
	(11) Principal offence basis.
	(12) Staffordshire Police were only able to submit sample data for persons proceeded against and convicted in the magistrates courts in 2000.

CCTV

Bill O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research he has analysed on the benefits of extending CCTV to small towns and villages to help combat crime and anti-social behaviour; and if he will make a statement.

John Denham: To help ensure maximum impact and sustainability of CCTV, a £1.5 million Home Office funded national evaluation programme is being carried out by the Scarman Centre, University of Leicester, on 17 approved CCTV Initiative schemes, including a mobile scheme in rural Kent.
	The final evaluation report will not be published until 2004 but interim reports will be available before then. The first—providing guidance for practitioners on implementation of CCTV schemes—is due for publication shortly.

CCTV

Bill O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what additional funding will be made available to police authorities for CCTV schemes in (a) 2003–04, (b) 2004–05 and (c) 2005–06; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will make a statement on funding for local authorities for CCTV schemes in (a) 2003–04, (b) 2004–05 and (c) 2005–06.

John Denham: Opportunities for funding for CCTV currently exist through the funds available to Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships, on which the police and local authorities are partners. Funding of £94 million is being provided for local crime and drugs spend, including capacity building, for 2003–04.
	In addition, a special £50 million Basic Command Unit (BCU) fund is being distributed to local police commanders in 2003–04 to tackle the problems that matter most in their communities. Police will be able to target the extra resources at local level problems, like anti-social behaviour and drugs, deploying CCTV where appropriate.
	Funding for 2004–05 and 2005–06 has yet to be finalised.

Child Protection

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 12 February 2003, Official Report, column 770W, on child protection, how many forces and authorities failed to submit their three year plans to him; and what action he will take against those forces and authorities who fail to comply with the 31 March submission date.

John Denham: As the submission date of 31 March has not yet been reached, it is not possible to say how many forces and authorities have failed to submit their three-year plans. They are under a statutory duty to do so by virtue of section 92 of the Police Reform Act 2002. Any failure to submit a plan would be in breach of that statutory duty.

Children at Risk

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times last year police officers from (a) the Metropolitan and (b) Sussex police force areas accompanied social workers to addresses of abusive and intimidating parents and guardians of children deemed at risk.

John Denham: This information is not collected centrally, or by the Metropolitan and Sussex police forces.
	The standard operating procedure in the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) Child Protection Group is that in cases where there are criminal allegations, social workers will be accompanied by the police. There may be other instances where, although no criminal allegations have been made, a risk assessment will be conducted to determine whether the presence of the police is necessary.
	In 2002, Sussex Police received 3,783 referrals of possible child abuse. In the overwhelming majority of cases of this kind, Sussex Police carry out joint visits to the child's home with the relevant social worker. This is irrespective of whether the allegation is made against the parent/carer or whether the parent/carer is believed to be aggressive or intimidating. Given that this is the normal practice, Sussex Police do not keep separate records of joint visits or quantitative information about intimidating parents.

Community-based Sentencing

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to promote to the public the (a) use, (b) effectiveness, (c) range of initiatives and (d) suitability of community based sentencing.

Hilary Benn: Increasing confidence in the Criminal Justice System is the subject of a Public Service Agreement target (PSA 10). The creation of the National Probation Service and the establishment of the Youth Justice Board have provided clearer structures, substantial changes in practice based on evidence of effectiveness in reducing crime and new community-based sentences. A task force, based within the Home Office, has recently been established to further inter-departmental work towards the PSA target.
	To increase the use, effectiveness, range of disposals and suitability of community based penalties, the National Probation Service and the Youth Justice Board are working with the courts to ensure sentences are targeted appropriately. This includes ensuring that accredited programmes and recently introduced disposals, like drug treatment and testing orders and the intensive supervision and surveillance programme (ISSP), are used appropriately and their potential to reduce reoffending and protect the public fully exploited.
	Ways are also being developed to increase sentencers' awareness of new assessment techniques that act as a guide to the suitability of community sentences and accurately reflect risk factors that sentencers must take into account. The implementation of new disposals, or changes to existing sentences such as the "enhancement" of community punishment (formerly community service), will include effective communications.
	As it becomes available both the National Probation Service and Youth Justice Board regularly publish relevant information on reconviction data, practice and policy developments and performance. The National Probation Service is currently reviewing the communications capacity of the 42 local probation areas and increasing national resources for communications, including work with the media. This, and future work, will be evaluated against and informed by surveys of public and sentencer perception.

Computer Fraud

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many laptop computers were used by (a) Ministers and special advisers and (b) officials in his Department in each year since 1995; how many were (i) lost and (ii) stolen; what their cost was; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: Information on the issue of laptop computers by year is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Three laptop computers have been provided over the last 26 months to Ministers and special advisers and none have been reported either lost or stolen.
	A further 4,721 laptop computers have been issued to officials including those within the Executive Agencies.
	In both 1995 and 1996 no laptop computers were reported lost. In 1997 one was reported lost. In 1998 four were reported lost. In 1999 two were reported lost, although one was subsequently recovered and since then no laptop computers have been reported lost.
	In terms of thefts we have reported to the House before seven laptop computers were reported stolen in 1995 with a combined value of £3,924. Nine were reported stolen in 1996 with a value of £20,300. In 1997 a further nine laptop computers were reported stolen with a value of £25,000. In 1998 a single laptop was stolen but no reliable data has been recorded regarding its value. In 1999 a number of laptops were stolen from a storeroom and were valued at £20,421. During 2000 a further 18 thefts of laptop computers were reported. The total value for these losses was £53,429 but the figure is distorted by at least one machine having no formal value recorded against it and in another case a PowerPoint Projector being included in the financial loss. From 2000 through to 13 February 2003 a further 39 further thefts were reported, with one subsequent recovery but a financial value is not available. In part this is because 897 laptop computers are now provided as a managed service from a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) partners. Where loss occurs the financial risk has been passed to the partner organisation.
	In addition to these figures 14 laptop computers have been lost from the Forensic Science Service at a cost of £1,200 each since 1995.

Computer Hacking

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) internal hacking and (b) external hacking incidents categorised as (i) access denied, (ii) browsing, (iii) password abuse, (iv) privilege abuse, (v) data stolen/disclosed, (vi) files deleted/damaged, (vii) fraud and (viii) other were reported by each Department contributing to the Unified Reporting and Alert Scheme.

Bob Ainsworth: There has been a very substantial reduction in the figures over the previous year. Analytical work is still in progress; I will reply in more detail as soon as I am able.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reason he has not replied to the letter to him dated 15 January 2003 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mrs. Huda Abdulwahed.

David Blunkett: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 28 February 2003.

Crime

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his estimate is of the change in the volume of crime in (a) total and (b) by major category, on (i) a British Crime Survey basis and (ii) a police statistics basis, comparing (A) 1978–79 with 1996–97 and (B) 1996–97 with 2002–03; and if he will make a statement.

John Denham: The earliest estimates available for the British Crime Survey (BCS) are for the 1982 survey, which measured crime in 1981. Likewise, the closest BCS data to 1996–97 is from the 1998 BCS (crime in 1997). The latest available (provisional) data on trends in the numbers of incidents of crime were published in January 2003 in Home Office Statistical Bulletin 02/03, reporting on the results of BCS interviews that took place in the year ending September 2002.
	
		Trends in the number of BCS incidents of crime for the major crime categories, 1981 to year ending September 2002 -- Interviews (in thousands)
		
			  1981 1997 Year ending September 2002 
		
		
			 Burglary(13) 749 1,621 982 
			 All vehicle thefts(14) 1,751 3,511 2,388 
			 All BCS violence 2,160 3,664 2,712 
			 All BCS crime 11,041 16,692 12,251 
		
	
	(13) Burglary includes burglary with entry and attempts.
	(14) All vehicle thefts includes thefts of and from vehicles and associated attempts.
	The percentage changes in the number of incidents of crime, as recorded by the BCS from 1981 to 1997, are therefore:
	
		
			  Percentage increase 
		
		
			 Burglary 116 
			 All vehicle thefts 101 
			 All BCS violence 70 
			 All BCS crime 51 
		
	
	Additionally, the percentage changes from crime in 1997 to the results of BCS interviews conducted in the year ending September 2002 are:
	
		
			  Percentage decrease 
		
		
			 Burglary 39 
			 All vehicle thefts 32 
			 All BCS violence 26 
			 All BCS crime 27 
		
	
	Police-recorded crime statistics are available for the financial years 1978–79, 1996–97 and the latest data are for the year ending September 2002. The offence coverage of the British Crime Survey and recorded crime differs. For example, the BCS excludes victimless crimes, crimes against those under the age of 16 and against those living in institutions, to name a selection. Home Office Statistical Bulletin 07/02 provides further details on the coverage and comparability of the two measures, and the need for the use of a comparable subset of offences for any comparison of the two.
	
		Trends in the number of recorded crimes of the major categories
		
			  1978–79 1996–97 October 2001 to September 2002 
		
		
			 Burglary in a dwelling(15) 253,878 581,985 447,100 
			 All vehicle thefts(16) 592,279 1,245,052 998,400 
			 All violent crime 123,276 348,032 909,300 
			 Total recorded crime 2,514,660 4,930,678 5,797,100 
		
	
	(15) Burglary here includes only burglary from a dwelling.
	(16) All vehicle thefts includes thefts of and from vehicles and associated attempts.
	The percentage changes in the number of recorded crimes from 1978–79 to 1996–97 are therefore as follows.
	
		
			  Percentage increase 
		
		
			 Burglary in a dwelling 129 
			 All vehicle thefts 110 
			 All violent crime 182 
			 Total recorded crime 96 
		
	
	The percentage changes from recorded crime in 1996–97 to the year ending September 2002 are:
	
		
			  Percentage change 
		
		
			 Burglary in a dwelling Decreased 23 
			 All vehicle thefts Decreased 20  
			 All violent crime Increased 43 
			 Total recorded crime Increased 3  
		
	
	The percentage changes since 1996–97 have been adjusted for the effects of the revisions in April 1998 to the way recorded crimes are counted and classified. This has had a large impact on the changes in violent crime and total recorded crime, but a negligible impact on those for burglary and vehicle crime. Recorded crime figures have also been affected by the National Crime Recording Standard. The Standard, which was introduced formally in all forces in April 2002 and informally in other forces prior to this date, has had the effect of increasing recorded crime statistics by at least 10 per cent. in the year ending September 2002. This means that, but for the Standard, there would have been a fall in total recorded crime between 1996–97 and the 12 months to September 2002.

Crime Statistics (Wales)

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) robberies, (b) gun-related crimes and (c) recorded crimes there were in each police force area in Wales in each year since 1997.

John Denham: holding answer 3 March 2003
	The requested information is given in the table. The figures include the number of recorded crimes in which Firearms were reported to have been used.
	There was a change in counting rules for recorded crime on 1 April 1998, which would have the tendency to increase the number of offences counted. Numbers of offences before and after this date are therefore not directly comparable.
	As a result of three of the four police forces in Wales adopting the principles of the National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) in advance of its official introduction across England and Wales on 1 April 2002, numbers of offences recorded for 2001–02 may have been inflated.
	
		Recorded crime: number of offences, by police force areas in Wales
		
			  Robbery Offences involving Firearms Total crime 
		
		
			 Dyfed Powys
			 1997(17) 34 61 18,098 
			 1998–99(18) 42 60 24,588 
			 1999–2000 28 45 23,709 
			 2000–01 23 68 22,878 
			 2001–02 26 — 24,003 
			   
			 Gwent
			 1997(17) 156 129 47,268 
			 1998–99(18) 173 215 58,738 
			 1999–2000 216 248 60,132 
			 2000–01 244 197 56,728 
			 2001–02 215 — 46,938 
			 
			 North Wales
			 1997(17) 112 109 40,684 
			 1998–99(18) 127 94 43,848 
			 1999–2000 146 104 44,606 
			 2000–01 163 74 47,708 
			 2001–02 194 — 54,116 
			 
			 South Wales
			 1997(17) 509 295 130,886 
			 1998–99(18) 511 222 134,820 
			 1999–2000 519 315 127,040 
			 2000–01 460 275 111,131 
			 2001–02 595 — 116,708 
		
	
	(17) Offences were recorded on a calendar year basis up to 1997, and thereafter on a financial year basis.
	(18) The number of crimes recorded in that financial year using the expanded offence coverage and revised counting rules which came into effect on 1 April 1998.
	Notes:
	1. Three of the four Wales forces adopted the principles of the National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) in advance of its official introduction across England and Wales on 1 April 2002; Dyfed Powys (January 2002), North Wales (October 2001) and South Wales (January 2002). This may have increased the number of offences recorded in 2001–02.
	2. 2001–02 figures for Offences involving Firearms have not yet been published.

Criminal Justice Bill

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the desert model in appendix 8, paragraph 3 of Making Punishments Work, in the sentencing framework of the Criminal Justice Bill.

Hilary Benn: The Criminal Justice Bill adopts the approach to sentencing advocated by John Halliday in his report "Making Punishments Work", which is based on a modified version of the "just desserts" theory of sentencing. The set of principles which guide sentencers in determining the seriousness of the offence (in chapter 1, part 1 2) incorporate the principle that the punishment should always be proportionate to the seriousness of the offence, on which the "dessert" is based. They have been modified in one respect, again as advocated by John Halliday, so that recent and relevant previous convictions act as aggravating factors in determining sentence seriousness. The Government believes that persistent offenders must know that there will be a steady progress to custody, increasing in length, if they continually offend and fail to respond to previous sentences.

Criminal Justice Bill

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether Clause 126 of the Criminal Justice Bill complies with Principle A2 of the Council of Europe's recommendation on consistency of sentencing 1992.

Hilary Benn: Clause 126 makes explicit the purposes of sentencing on the face of the Bill. We want to encourage sentencers to address more directly than at present the purposes of crime reduction (through reform and rehabilitation, and deterrence) and reparation, alongside the continuing key and prominent aims of public protection and punishment. These purposes are not in conflict and it will be up to sentencers to determine what weight to accord to each in a particular case. This may vary in different cases; for example a purely punitive intervention may be required, in others rehabilitation will feature more heavily.
	We do not, therefore, consider Clause 126 to be in conflict with Principle A2 of the Council of Europe recommendation. Our goal is to achieve consistency of approach in sentencing, through the consistent application of explicit principles and standards, recognising that these may result in justifiably disparate outcomes. Clause 126 which sets out the general purposes of sentencing, and those that follow which establish a set of principles to guide the sentence in determining the seriousness of an offence, will help achieve this, as will the establishment of the new Sentencing Guidelines Council which I will produce a set of consolidated guidelines for all criminal courts.

Criminal Policy Group

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the purpose is of the Criminal Policy Group within his Department; what his estimate is of its cost for each year from 1996–97 to 2004–05 (planned); and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: The Criminal Policy Group shared the purpose of the Home Office in building a safe, just and tolerant society in which the rights and responsibilities of individuals, families and communities are properly balanced and the protection and security of the public are maintained. The Group had responsibility to deliver two of the principal Home Office Aims, Aim 3 (To ensure the effective delivery of justice) and Aim 4 (To deliver effective custodial and community sentences to reduce reoffending and protect the public). Following changes in senior management arrangements in the Department on 5 February, the Group was renamed the Criminal Justice Group and its correction functions (including its responsibility for Aim 4) moved to report to the Commissioner for the Correctional Services and Permanent Secretary for Human Resources.
	Costs for the Criminal Policy Group each year are as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 1996–97 Outturn 77 
			 1997–98 Outturn 90 
			 1998–99 Outturn 93 
			 1999–2000 Outturn 187 
			 2000–01 Outturn 159 
			 2001–02 Outturn 89 
			 2002–03 Estimated Outturn 109 
			 2003–04 Planned 177 
			 2004–05 Planned 195 
			 2005–06 Planned 217 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The outturn figures include expenditure on current (resource) and capital budgets. Figures prior to 2001–02 are taken from the Home Office Annual Report 2000–01 and 2001–02.
	2. Planned figures are for the Criminal Policy Group before recent changes and include correction functions.
	3. All figures exclude expenditure by non-departmental public bodies.

Custody

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what records are kept by the police of the time a person spends in custody (a) in England and (b) by Merseyside Police; for what period of time the police retain such records; who has access to this information; whether this information is publicly available; and within what period the police must respond to a request for details of custody.

John Denham: The detention of people arrested for criminal offences in England and Wales is governed by the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) and the PACE Codes of Practice. Merseyside Police record the detention of all persons in custody in accordance with this Act and Codes of Practice.
	Section 37(4) and Section 39(1)(b) of the Act provides that custody records must be kept on all detained persons. PACE Code C Section 2 sets out the responsibilities of the custody officer and what details must be given on the custody record, including the time of a person's arrival in custody and either the time of subsequent release or transfer to court.
	Police must retain custody records for 12 months after the detainee has been released from police custody (PACE Code of Practice C paragraph 2.4). No maximum period is specified. Merseyside police currently keep custody records for three years, but are considering extending this period to seven years.
	While a person is still in detention, a solicitor or appropriate adult may inspect the record as soon as is practicable after their arrival at the police station. (This is provided for under PACE Code of Practice C paragraphs 2.4 to 2.5). When a person leaves police detention, he himself, his legal representative or an appropriate adult may request a copy of the original custody record for up to 12 months after release provided reasonable notice is given. The information contained in the custody record is not otherwise publicly available. The police must respond to requests for details of the custody record as soon as practicable (paragraph 2.4).

Custody Suites

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance he gives on the health and safety requirements for custody suites.

John Denham: There are no health and safety organisations with a specific interest in custody suites of which I am aware. The management of health and safety within police forces, including custody suites, is the responsibility of the chief officer, employing specialist advice from the Home Office, force health and safety advisers and the Health and Safety Executive as appropriate.
	In police forces where custody suite provision has been contracted out to a service provider, the organisation which owns the custody suite premises is responsible for health and safety.
	The Home Office has published a generic risk assessment relating to hazards which may arise in the custody of detainees. Generic risk assessments are available on the Home Office website.
	The Police Buildings Design Guide 1994, together with the draft 2001 Custody update, provides guidance in respect of the design and construction of custody suites to ensure the health and safety of police officers and detainees alike.

Electronic Finger Printing

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police forces have introduced electronic finger printing scanning; what proposals he has to encourage other forces to do so; and if he will make a statement.

John Denham: There are currently 175 electronic fingerprint scanning units (known as Livescan) deployed across 27 police forces in England and Wales.
	The Police Information Technology Organisation has established the central capability to handle Livescan data (known as NAFIS—the National Automated Fingerprint Identification Service), and set up the Framework Agreement under which forces contract for the Livescan service. However, the decision to use Livescan is an operational matter for each police force, based on its own business case.
	Due to economies of scale, the business cases for the deployment of Livescan are generally stronger in larger forces, such as the Metropolitan Police, which has 53 units.
	The use by the police of Livescan and NAFIS will also be included in an analysis of forensic performance by police forces to be undertaken by the Police Standards Unit in the Home Office.

Firearms

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his estimate is of the number of illegally held firearms in each police force area in Wales.

Bob Ainsworth: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 21 January 2003, Official Report, column 295W.

Guide Dogs

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) guide dogs for the blind and (b) hearing dogs for the deaf are employed in the UK.

Beverley Hughes: I understand that there are about (a) 4,800 guide dogs; and (b) 600 hearing dogs currently at work in the UK with their blind or deaf owners.
	These figures have been supplied by (a) the charity, Guide Dogs for the Blind Association; and (b) the charity, Hearing Dogs for Deaf People.

HMP/YOI Holloway

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he plans to reopen the Bail Office at HMP/YOI Holloway; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: The Bail and Legal Aid Office at Holloway will reopen as soon as a member of staff is in place. A candidate has been selected and is due to start work at Holloway on 7 April 2003. After a period of induction and suitable training, the Bail and Legal Aid office should be fully operational from early June.

HMP/YOI Holloway

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Youth Justice Board will announce its decision on funding for HMP/YOI Holloway's work with prisoners subject to detention and training orders; if he will investigate the reason for (a) previous lack of funding for this project and (b) the delay in the announcement; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: The Youth Justice Board (YJB), as purchaser and commissioner of juvenile secure accommodation, are currently negotiating with the Prison Service the content of the Service Level Agreement for the coming financial year. They expect to include funding for a limited number of juvenile girls to be held in Holloway this year, including those who require facilities for continuing medical treatment.
	The decision had previously been delayed because of changes last year in overall population levels and the need to review the timetable for meeting the commitment to remove 15 and 16 year old girls from Prison Service custody. The Board have announced that this will be met later this year, but Holloway will continue to hold 17 year old girls and some 15 and 16 year olds in the meantime.

HMP/YOI Holloway

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the Prisoners Advice and Care Trust to take over the running of the visitors' centre booking line at HMP/YOI Holloway; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: Holloway will have its telephone system upgraded in July 2003 and the Governor will then introduce changes to the existing arrangements. Proposals include the separation of professional and social telephone booking line arrangements whereby prison staff will continue to organise and run professional visits but a separate line for social visits will be staffed by a telephone operator. The system will be based in the prison and will have a line which would enable people who are finishing their visits to book the next visit before they leave the prison.
	Discussions with the Prisoners Advice and Care Trust are not yet concluded but the Governor of Holloway expects to finalise arrangements in the next month ahead of the new system being put in place later this year.

HMP/YOI Holloway

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners at HMP/YOI Holloway have been detained longer than necessary because home detention orders paperwork was not completed correctly, since 2001; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: Specific information about the number of prisoners detained longer than necessary because home detention orders paperwork has not been completed correctly is not available without disproportionate cost. However, an area-wide review of home detention order paperwork was conducted by the Female Estate Operational Office in August 2002, and the arrangements at Holloway were found to be of a high quality.

HMPs Garth and Wymott

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the provision of a hospital wing at (a) HMP Garth and (b) HMP Wymott.

Hilary Benn: There is a small in-patient healthcare facility at Garth prison to which Wymott prison has access as appropriate. There are no plans to expand this unit as a new health care facility is currently scheduled to open at neighbouring Preston prison at the end of 2004. This is to be an area-wide facility, which can be utilised by both Garth and Wymott as necessary.

Metropolitan Police

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the resources made available to the Metropolitan police in the current financial year.

John Denham: The police resources made available to the Metropolitan police authority by Central Government in 2002–03 are set out in the tables.
	
		Revenue funding
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 Home Office specific grant 1,015.9 
			 Office of the Deputy Prime Minister Revenue Support grant 476.9 
			 Office of the Deputy Prime Minister National Non Domestic Rates 183.5 
			 Crime Fighting Fund 62.0 
			 Free travel for officers 2.45 
			 London Allowance 20.0 
			 Street Crime Initiative 14.2 
			 DNA processing and support costs 7.1 
			 Airwave Revenue 5.0 
			 Counter terrorism and Community Support Officers 46.0 
			 Loan charge grant 3.6 
			 Total 1,836.7 
		
	
	
		Capital funding
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 Capital Grant and Supplementary Credit Approvals 44.5 
			 Premises Improvement Fund 1.0 
			 Command Control and Communications Information System (19)10.0 
			 Airwave Capital 40.7 
			 Total 96.2 
		
	
	(19) To date.
	Note:
	In addition, the Metropolitan police authority will raise around £361.4 million through the police precept on council tax.

Midnight Basketball Scheme

Nick Hawkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what funding his Department will be providing (a) in 2003–04 and (b) in future years to the Midnight Basketball Scheme run by the National Playing Fields Association; and if he will make a statement.

John Denham: holding answer 3 March 2003
	Midnight Basketball has received funding locally in recent years from the Communities Against Drugs fund, the Children's Fund, from the Youth Justice Board and from Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships. Local partnerships are currently at the point of developing their funding plans for next year and it is open to them to provide funding for Midnight Basketball from Home Office funding streams, for example for the purposes of reducing youth crime, anti-social behaviour or substance misuse. Midnight Basketball is, therefore, unlikely to receive central Home Office funding.
	In addition, from May this year, there will be a new single programme of positive activities for young people to provide year round out of school activities for eight to 19-year-olds. This will deliver activities to more young people than in previous years, providing support for those most at risk. It will be open to schemes such as Midnight Basketball to bid to provide diversionary, activities for young people as part of this programme.

Network and Forensic Investigators

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 24 February 2003, ref 97541, how many (a) network and (b) forensic investigators he estimates will be trained in (i) the current year and (ii) each of the next three years.

John Denham: Assessing the training requirements for existing and new staff in network and forensic investigation is a matter for individual chief officers. This information is not aggregated centrally.
	The National Specialist Law Enforcement Centre for National High Tech Crime Training Centre (part of Centrex) was created to ensure that police staff are equipped with the knowledge and skills that will enable them to meet the challenges set by criminals who use technology in their criminal endeavours. Its course include the development of network investigation and computer forensics skills. Forces may also receive local training, from other providers.
	In addition to the ongoing support for high tech crime, in December 2002 the Home Office provided a one-off payment of £500,000 to the Association of Chief Police Officers to support operations to combat child abuse on the internet. This money has been used in part to provide relevant hardware and software, and also to train 86 individuals within forces in basic forensic analysis this financial year.

Police

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the budget allocated to the North Yorkshire police force in 2003–04.

John Denham: For 2003–04, North Yorkshire Police Authority has set a budget of £114.2 million. It has been allocated £70.4 million in police grant; revenue support grant and share of national non-domestic rates, an increase of three per cent. on the like-for-like figure for 2002–03. The balance of its budget is met from local resources.
	In addition to general grants, the Authority will receive an estimated £4.55 million in specific grants as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 Crime Fighting Fund 1.85 
			 Rural Policing Fund 2.02 
			 Airwaves 0.23 
			 Basic Command Unit Fund 0.45 
			 Total 4.55 
		
	
	The authority has been allocated capital grant and supplementary credit approval to borrow £1.47 million. This is an increase of four per cent. on 2002–03.

Police

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) police horses and (b) police dogs have been injured in the line of duty in the last year for which records are kept.

John Denham: This information is not collected centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Police

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what protective equipment is (a) routinely worn by police horses and police dogs in their everyday work and (b) available to be used in more dangerous situations.

John Denham: This information is not collected centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Police

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many officers have resigned voluntarily from each police force in each year since 1998–99.

John Denham: holding answer 4 March 2003
	Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) collects information annually about voluntary resignations from the police service. Figures for the years 1998–99 to 2001–02 (the latest available) are set out in the table.
	While there were 485 more resignations from the police service in 2001–02 than in 1998–99, there were 4,824 more recruits in 2001–02 than in 1998–99. By 31 March 2002, police service strength had reached the record number of 129,603, on track for the Government's targets of 130,000 by March 2003 and 132,500 in 2003–04.
	
		
			 Force 2001–02 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 
		
		
			 Avon and Somerset 15 21 16 22 
			 Bedfordshire 9 11 17 25 
			 Cambridgeshire 16 11 22 23 
			 Cheshire 8 22 16 14 
			 City of London 13 8 11 9 
			 Cleveland 13 3 5 12 
			 Cumbria 19 9 8 11 
			 Derbyshire 4 3 12 5 
			 Devon and Cornwall 9 20 18 22 
			 Dorset 15 15 10 23 
			 Durham 10 12 13 6 
			 Dyfed-Powys 2 6 7 5 
			 Essex 19 31 41 41 
			 Gloucestershire 7 15 15 18 
			 Greater Manchester 44 41 57 90 
			 Gwent 7 9 6 8 
			 Hampshire 23 34 67 48 
			 Hertfordshire 23 35 58 40 
			 Humberside 18 18 29 15 
			 Kent 48 40 48 58 
			 Lancashire 12 21 17 40 
			 Leicestershire 30 24 19 39 
			 Lincolnshire 12 7 6 15 
			 Merseyside 12 17 22 21 
			 Metropolitan Police 337 365 435 447 
			 Norfolk 13 7 10 23 
			 North Wales 7 6 9 7 
			 North Yorkshire 12 11 3 11 
			 Northamptonshire 23 9 10 7 
			 Northumbria 27 30 31 37 
			 Nottinghamshire 22 12 12 26 
			 South Wales 18 13 23 28 
			 South Yorkshire 27 22 23 22 
			 Staffordshire 22 25 9 22 
			 Suffolk 8 11 12 19 
			 Surrey 27 26 38 44 
			 Sussex 55 43 41 63 
			 Thames Valley 54 68 90 69 
			 Warwickshire 2 5 5 15 
			 West Mercia 25 16 17 23 
			 West Midlands 76 86 101 133 
			 West Yorkshire 38 32 42 54 
			 Wiltshire 8 15 18 15 
			 England and Wales 1,189 1,235 1,468 1,674

Police

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers, broken down by police force, have taken (a) medical retirement and (b) sick leave owing to traumatic brain injury in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

John Denham: This information is not collected centrally. Overall the levels of medical retirement and sickness absence in the police service are decreasing reflecting work to encourage a healthy police service.

Police

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police authorities there were in England in each of the last 20 years.

John Denham: There are 39 police areas in England and this has remained constant for the last 20 years. Each has a police authority responsible for maintaining an efficient and effective police force for that area. In the City of London, the police authority is the City Corporation. In the Metropolitan Police District, the police authority was the Secretary of State, until 3 July 2000, when the Metropolitan Police Authority was established under the Greater London Authority Act 1999.

Police

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the percentage increase in the police precept for a Band D property in each English police authority area between 2002–03 and 2003–04; and if he will make a statement.

John Denham: The level of precepts is determined locally by each police authority.
	Precepts must be set by 1 March each year and details should be notified to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister within seven days. Full figures for 2003–04 police authority precepts are not yet available.

Police

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) police officers and (b) operational police officers per head of population there were in each police authority in England in (i) 2001 and (ii) 2002.

John Denham: holding answer 28 February 2003
	The information requested is set out in the tables.
	
		
			 Police force Police Officers per 100,000 population(20) Operational police officers per 100,000 population (21),(22) 
		
		
			 2000–01   
			 Avon and Somerset 199.4 188.4 
			 Bedfordshire 184.2 168.0 
			 Cambridgeshire 178.8 155.4 
			 Cheshire 203.8 180.2 
			 Cleveland 253.0 230.8 
			 Cumbria 213.0 201.7 
			 Derbyshire 187.1 164.2 
			 Devon and Cornwall 186.9 176.8 
			 Dorset 195.5 185.3 
			 Durham 262.8 236.2 
			 Essex 179.1 171.4 
			 Gloucestershire 208.7 184.4 
			 Greater Manchester 268.1 248.3 
			 Hampshire 193.0 182.9 
			 Hertfordshire 184.3 170.3 
			 Humberside 217.5 200.9 
			 Kent 209.1 184.0 
			 Lancashire 228.3 210.0 
			 Leicestershire 217.5 199.7 
			 Lincolnshire 191.3 178.9 
			 City of London(23) — — 
			 Merseyside 290.8 263.4 
			 Metropolitan Police(23) 351.1 307.6 
			 Norfolk 178.3 159.8 
			 Northamptonshire 186.3 173.6 
			 Northumbria 271.9 247.5 
			 North Yorkshire 174.6 165.4 
			 Nottinghamshire 220.3 204.2 
			 South Yorkshire 245.4 214.0 
			 Staffordshire 200.7 172.2 
			 Suffolk 167.9 161.7 
			 Surrey 191.6 163.0 
			 Sussex 188.5 163.1 
			 Thames Valley 175.0 164.5 
			 Warwickshire 182.4 159.4 
			 West Mercia 171.0 146.2 
			 West Midlands 282.6 248.4 
			 West Yorkshire 227.6 217.1 
			 Wiltshire 183.6 169.5 
			 Dyfed-Powys 219.4 211.6 
			 Gwent 229.0 213.5 
			 North Wales 219.5 204.3 
			 South Wales 254.0 226.4 
			
			 Total all forces 234.3 211.9 
		
	
	(20) Calculated using police officer strength at 31 March 2001 and 31 March 2002 reported to Home Office Research and Statistics Directorate.
	(21) Calculated using operational officer strength at 31 March 2001 and 31 March 2002 reported to Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary.
	(22) Her Majesty Inspectorate of Constabulary figures count as "operational": any member of staff, including covert staff, whose primary role is to directly deliver the overarching aims of the police service.
	(23) Officers per 100,000 population for City of London and Metropolitan Police are combined.
	
		
			 Police force Police Officers per 100,000 population(24) Operational police officers per 100,000 population (25),(26) 
		
		
			 2001–02   
			 Avon and Somerset 204.8 192.5 
			 Bedfordshire 188.9 173.6 
			 Cambridgeshire 186.5 153.4 
			 Cheshire 209.2 181.5 
			 Cleveland 262.5 232.1 
			 Cumbria 224.0 211.1 
			 Derbyshire 189.0 165.5 
			 Devon and Cornwall 192.4 180.4 
			 Dorset 197.8 186.4 
			 Durham 266.0 238.1 
			 Essex 180.8 172.6 
			 Gloucestershire 209.4 189.3 
			 Greater Manchester 279.1 262.1 
			 Hampshire 194.8 183.1 
			 Hertfordshire 173.7 162.1 
			 Humberside 233.6 214.6 
			 Kent 209.9 192.5 
			 Lancashire 231.1 214.8 
			 Leicestershire 223.7 204.1 
			 Lincolnshire 188.9 175.5 
			 City of London(27) — — 
			 Merseyside 293.9 265.2 
			 Metropolitan Police(27) 365.9 319.6 
			 Norfolk 182.6 166.0 
			 Northamptonshire 194.0 182.2 
			 Northumbria 277.8 242.9 
			 North Yorkshire 188.0 175.4 
			 Nottinghamshire 225.9 206.3 
			 South Yorkshire 245.8 216.2 
			 Staffordshire 201.3 175.2 
			 Suffolk 176.9 170.6 
			 Surrey 184.3 155.9 
			 Sussex 190.0 171.8 
			 Thames Valley 176.8 165.2 
			 Warwickshire 189.9 170.0 
			 West Mercia 176.0 155.1 
			 West Midlands 293.3 264.1 
			 West Yorkshire 230.5 220.7 
			 Wiltshire 188.7 174.0 
			 Dyfed-Powys 234.5 227.6 
			 Gwent 239.2 223.1 
			 North Wales 228.1 214.0 
			 South Wales 258.7 230.1 
			
			 Total all forces 240.4 217.7 
		
	
	(24) Calculated using police officer strength at 31 March 2001 and 31 March 2002 reported to Home Office Research and Statistics Directorate.
	(25) Calculated using operational officer strength at 31 March 2001 and 31 March 2002 reported to Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary.
	(26) Her Majesty Inspectorate of Constabulary figures count as "operational": any member of staff, including covert staff, whose primary role is to directly deliver the overarching aims of the police service.
	(27) Officers per 100,000 population for City of London and Metropolitan Police are combined.

Prison Service

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list construction projects in the Prison Service in each of the last 10 years that have overspent; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Prison Service

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he plans to review the Prison Service's contract with British Telecommunications; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: Following a competitive tender, the Prison Service entered into a contract with BT in 1998 to develop a new telephone system for prisoners. The new system provides improved security for prisoners by removing the need for telephone cards, which had become a source of bullying and "taxing" within prisons. It also improves security for victims and witnesses because it allows individual telephone numbers to be barred to individual prisoners. The system is now installed in more than half the prisons in England and Wales, and is expected to be installed in all prisons by next summer.
	The contract was reviewed in the course of last year, and among the changes was a technical adaptation to enable foreign prisoners to make overseas calls at reduced cost. These arrangements are now being piloted in four prisons, and in the light of the conclusion of the pilots, it is hoped to extend the arrangements to all prison establishments later in the year.

Prisoner Numbers

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the projected numbers of inmates for UK prisons are for 2005; and what the capacity of UK prisons will be by 2005.

Hilary Benn: The projected annual average for the prison population in England and Wales in 2005 is 87,200. The projected useable operational capacity of the estate for 2005 is 77,000. These projected figures are used for the purposes of planning the Prison Service estate. As part of the Review of Correctional Services, the Government is looking to develop a long-term strategy to manage population pressures.
	Information relating to Scotland and Northern Ireland is a matter for Ministers in the Scottish Executive and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland respectively.

Prisons

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what the (a) uncrowded capacity and (b) maximum capacity of prisons in England and Wales were in each year between 1995 and 2002; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the likely (a) uncrowded capacity and (b) maximum capacity of prisons in England and Wales between 2003 and 2006;
	(3)  what forecasts he has made of changes to the total (a) operational capacity and (b) population of prisons in England and Wales in the period 2003–06.

Hilary Benn: The information requested is shown in the following table. The terms "maximum capacity" and "uncrowded capacity" are understood as being the useable operational capacity and in-use certified normal accommodation (CNA) respectively. The projections given from 2003 onwards are used for planning purposes. As part of the Review of Correctional Services, the Government is looking to develop a long-term strategy to manage population pressures.
	
		
			  Currently planned average in-use CAN Currently planned average useable operational capacity Forecast average population 
		
		
			 2006 69,500 77,500 91,200 
			 2005 69,000 77,000 87,200 
			 2004 67,000 75,000 81,300 
			 2003 66,000 74,000 74,100 
			 2002 64,200 71,500 70,800 
			 2001 63,500 69,400 66,300 
			 2000 63,400 69,000 64,600 
			 1999 62,400 68,100 64,800 
			 1998 61,300 67,800 65,300 
			 1997 56,300 61,800 61,100 
			 1996 53,200 56,500 55,300 
			 1995 50,200 54,200 51,000 
		
	
	Notes
	1. Population figures exclude the numbers of prisoners held in police cells during that year. The figures are based on data for the last day of each month.
	2. In-use CNA: the uncrowded capacity of the estate after adjusting for accommodation out of use.
	3. The projected population figures are taken from the Home Office statistical bulletin published on 9 December 2002. A copy of the bulletin has been placed in the Library.
	4. Usable operational capacity: the measure used for long-term estate planning purposes. The maximum number of prisoners that the estate could normally hold is up to 2, 000 less than the total certified operational capacity.

Special Constables

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many special constables were serving in Sussex police in the last six months; and what steps he is taking with the Sussex Chief Constable to increase this number.

John Denham: The latest available figures for the strength of the Special Constabulary are for March 2002, at which time there were 306 special constables serving in Sussex police. Police numbers are now published annually and the next publication will show figures as at 31 March 2003.
	The National Policing Plan 2003–06 reaffirms our commitment to introducing measures to increase the numbers and effectiveness of the Special Constabulary. The National Specials Weekend which was held on 21–23 February provided an opportunity for Forces to
	"encourage more recruits by raising the profile of the Special Constabulary and recognising the enormous contribution made by its members to local policing". And the new Specials website at www.specialconstables. gov.uk has been designed so that specials and their managers can keep abreast of developments and share good practice. Guidance on good practice in all aspects of Specials' local recruitment, management and deployment is being produced by the Home Office with the Association of Chief Police Officers, and will be published on this site.

Travellers

David Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans to bring forward legislation for stronger enforcement powers for the police to move on unauthorised traveller camps for (a) those local authorities who have adequate site provision in their area and (b) those local authorities who have been unable to provide sites in their area; and if he will make a statement.

John Denham: Last July, we announced proposals for new eviction powers for police to deal with unauthorised encampments. These new powers will allow police to take firm action against unauthorised encampments, without the pre-conditions found in the current legislation, where local authorities have made adequate site provision which may be temporary. We will bring forward legislation when parliamentary time allows. Where local authorities have not made adequate site provision, current eviction powers will still be available.